The women’s A-League has a new naming rights partner — and will become known as the Ninja A-League when it starts its new season in early November.
The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have announced a multi-year deal with global product design and technology company SharkNinja.
Fixtures for the new season have also been announced.
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APL say the new partnership will include a series of joint initiatives.
“The first … will include the continuation of Dub Zone, a magazine show focusing on the weekly action from the Ninja A-League, and the delivery of a new junior pass which will provide free access to fans under 16 for the first four rounds of the Ninja A-League,” APL’s announcement says.
The women’s competition was previously known as the Liberty A-League.
Liberty remain a major partner of the league and will continue to support growth of the game.
As part of the partnership, SharkNinja will also become a new major partner of the Isuzu UTE A-League, which is the men’s competition.
Nick Garcia, A-Leagues Commissioner, said: “SharkNinja joins the A-Leagues with aligned ambitions; to grow women’s football in Australia and New Zealand, increase the opportunities and pathways for players, and help make the game more visible and accessible for our fans.
“We want to also take this time to thank Liberty who has been a fantastic partner of the APL and supporter of the women’s game for the last three seasons. Liberty’s work in helping grow the A-League is not done, and they remain an integral major partner of the women’s and men’s leagues.”
Judy Darling, VP Commercial at SharkNinja said: “At Ninja, our motto is, You Can Make It. We believe in a world where with the right appliance, cooking doesn’t need mastery — it’s made easy. We’ll be echoing this sentiment — You Can Make It — through our partnership with the A-League.
“Our mission is to positively impact people’s lives every day in every home around the world. This is exactly what our incredible Australian and Kiwi female footballers do — having become such powerful role models for the young and old alike.”
James Boyle, Liberty financial chief executive, said: “We are proud of the partnership we’ve built since coming on board in 2021 and are excited to continue championing football in Australia and New Zealand.”
The Ninja A-League 2024/25 season kicks off on the weekend of November 1-3, 2024, before all teams descend on Sydney for the second edition of Unite Round later in the month.
As with the 2023/24 season, the top six sides will qualify for the Ninja A-League 2025 Finals Series which take place on April 25-27, 2025, with the Grand Final scheduled for the weekend of May 16-18, 2025.
This story was first published on September 12, 2024.