NWSL Atlanta expansion team announces 7-year front-of-kit sponsorship deal with Georgia-based Aflac

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ATLANTA (AP) — Aflac U.S. president Virgil Miller says his insurance company was a natural fit for a front-of-kit sponsorship deal with Atlanta’s new National Women’s Soccer League team, which will debut in 2028.

Aflac’s agreement to have its Georgia-based company name on the front of the Atlanta players’ shirts was announced on Wednesday.

The Atlanta expansion team is owned by Arthur Blank, who also owns the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United of Major League Soccer. The Falcons and Atlanta United play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which also will be the home of the NWSL team.

Atlanta will become the NWSL’s 17th team, following the additions of Boston and Denver in the league’s most recent expansion.

“We believe in supporting women and women in sports and as we have looked at some of the statistics out there, we’ve seen that the National Women’s Soccer League has seen four consecutive years of viewership growth,” Miller told The Associated Press. “That is very attractive to us.”

Miller also said because “80% of healthcare decisions are made by women … you put those things together and it is a great way for us to show our support.”

As part of the sponsorship agreement, a portion of the contribution from Aflac will be donated to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorder Center at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

“That was connecting all the dots for a great relationship that we’re looking forward to being a part of,” Miller said.

The Atlanta NWSL team said the seven-year sponsorship deal is believed to be the league's most lucrative front-of-kit agreement. Financial terms were not released.

AMB Sports and Entertainment president Tim Zulawski said Atlanta United's attendance success helped make the new NWSL team attractive for a sponsorship deal.

“Atlanta United, when we launched that franchise, people didn’t see coming down the road 70,000 people regularly coming to matches and being top eight in the world,” Zulawski said.

“We fully expect that NWSL Atlanta will be a leader in fandom, in attendance, in every aspect of measure that you would look at in measuring a franchise. ... Aflac is making an amazing investment, showing how much they care about both this partnership and women’s sports, and we fully expect to deliver tenfold to their investment.”

There will be modifications to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the NWSL club. Attendance will be capped at approximately 28,000.

Blank’s investment in women’s professional soccer also includes the development of a training site in the city.

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This story corrects the name of the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorder Center at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer