Unrivaled League Thrives on Samsung’s AI and Social Media Storytelling Expertise for Gen Z
With Samsung’s partnership with Unrivaled, a new 3 x 3 women’s basketball league that just launched in Miami on January 17th and is set to run through mid-March, the company hopes to connect with Gen Z sports enthusiasts that are attracted to fast-paced, authentic sports action.
Unrivaled is designed to resonate with Gen Z by reimagining the sports format to be quick, unfiltered, and real-time. As the league’s official technology partner, Samsung leverages its innovative Galaxy technology to enhance this dynamic, blending sports, culture, and technology in a unique way.
Samsung Electronics America Vice President of Mobile Experience Marketing Olga Suvorova emphasized that the partnership aims to enhance fan experience as well as support athlete development. For athletes to perform at peak, tools like the Galaxy Watch and Ring, which help them optimize key factors, such as sleep, are essential. With Samsung’s technology, even small improvements can have a significant impact.
“Unrivaled is reinventing sports to format to the Gen Z consumer—quick, unpolished, and real-time,” said Suvorva. “As the ultimate capture device, Samsung is uniquely positioned to enhance and amplify this experience, bringing sports, culture, and technology together in a way only we can.”
Samsung’s strategy includes immersive, fan-centric activations focused on capturing and sharing exclusive content before, during, and after games. The campaign centers on generating over 600 hours of social-first content, creating an engaging narrative that brings fans closer to the league and its athletes on a personal level.
Key marketing efforts are led by #TeamGalaxy athlete ambassadors and Unrivaled co-founders Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, who published their personal stories and highlight how Samsung technology integrates into their lives both on and off the court on social media platforms like Instagram, X, and Snapchat with a purpose driven approach to resonate with Gen Z.
Through this partnership, Samsung aims to redefine how fans experience sports while strengthening its connection with the Gen Z audience. The financial agreement between the parties was not disclosed.
“By capturing content with a social-first point of view, we can seamlessly support and deliver it quickly to the platforms where audiences are already consuming,” said Suvorova. “This approach ensures that our content remains dynamic, relevant, and aligned with how fans engage today, amplifying the Unrivaled experience in real-time.”
As part of the partnership, Samsung is leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance content creation. With features like instant photo editing and night video capture, users can share high-quality content instantly. In addition to enabling athletes to focus on their game and maintain authentic, impactful connections with their fans, this technology helps the league tell dynamic stories.
Samsung is not the only brand that sparked interest in Unrivaled. Adobe Express also partnered with the league as it empowers Unrivaled fans to become creators, offering tools and templates to design game-day highlights, player posters, and social media content that celebrates their love for the game.
Women’s basketball is steadily growing in popularity among Gen Z sports fans, with Kantar data showing that 27% watch women’s basketball, particularly the WNBA, and 21% actively follow it. Brands and influencers are facilitating this growing connection through social media, creating a dynamic platform for storytelling and interaction. Although their interest in women’s basketball is notable, it’s just a sign of Gen Z’s enthusiasm for a variety of sports.
