State Farm has announced new initiatives to enhance its investment in women's sports, focusing on basketball. The company is signing a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal with JuJu Watkins, a standout sophomore at USC. This marks State Farm's second collegiate deal of this nature. As part of the agreement, Watkins will feature in a Big Ten Network commercial titled "One on One" alongside Jake from State Farm.
In addition to the NIL deal, State Farm is sponsoring Watkins' docuseries "On the Rise: JuJu Watkins," produced by UNINTERRUPTED and 4.4.Fourty Media. Kristyn Cook, Chief Agency, Sales and Marketing Officer at State Farm, stated that signing Watkins "adds another athlete to our roster who’s truly at the top of her game." Cook emphasized that investing in women's sports is both smart business and an opportunity to support athletes like Watkins.
State Farm is also becoming an official sponsor of the new Unrivaled Basketball League, a professional three-on-three league for women set to start on January 17. The company previously sponsored the league's Club Selection event. Cook noted that sponsoring Unrivaled offers another chance for State Farm to invest in women's sports and help grow the game.
Additionally, State Farm continues its relationship with Caitlin Clark from Indiana Fever as part of Team State Farm. Clark appears in an ESPN co-brand commercial called "Rookie Move," which features collaborations with Disney Advertising and ESPN under the Right Kind of Magic campaign.
Finally, State Farm will serve as the presenting sponsor for the first-ever nationally televised WNBA Expansion Draft on December 6 on ESPN.