e.l.f. Beauty Signs Ally Sentnor, Expands Women's Soccer Partnership for 2026

e.l.f. Beauty is expanding its partnership with the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) to promote women's sports to its audience.

The makeup brand has signed rising star Ally Sentnor and will be extending into Boston and Denver to complete coverage of all 16 league markets.

The expansion marks year two of a three-year deal in which e.l.f. Cosmetics and e.l.f. SKIN serve as the league's official makeup and skincare partner.

Sentnor is the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft and was the 2024 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year.

These moves combined show where e.l.f. sees its audience, and the NWSL's growth trajectory suggests the timing is working in the brand's favor.

The Athlete Roster Strategy

Signing the rising star gives e.l.f. one of women's football's most talked-about young players at a time when her profile is still building.

And these achievements are the kind of credentials that tend to age well.

Sentnor addressed the partnership directly in a press release, saying the alignment with e.l.f.'s values was what drew her in:

"Finding a brand like e.l.f. that aligns with my values of leaving the game better than I found it, and helping players and fans to experience the positive impact soccer has to offer, made it an easy choice in partnering up for the 2026 season."

The four-athlete roster spans two clubs and covers established stars alongside rising talent, giving the brand a story to tell at different points in the season.

e.l.f. is also making charitable donations on behalf of each athlete to organizations of their choosing, including Football for Her, South Bronx United, and The Prospect KC.

Glow For Glory, SoccerGirl, and the Fan Programs

e.l.f. is also expanding its Glow For Glory competition, which supports young girls in soccer.

The brand will be opening it to more participants across more locations over a longer window than last year.

A new partnership with SoccerGirl, which bills itself as the largest channel dedicated to women's football, will take e.l.f. on the road to engage fans in communities the brand describes as "beauty deserts."

Athletes will take part in unfiltered conversations about the sport through the platform.

The campaign arrives as women's soccer continues its run of record-breaking growth in the U.S.

The NWSL recorded 2.62 billion total minutes viewed last season, its highest figure on record, with TikTok followers doubling and engagement up by 68%.

These numbers reflect a women's soccer fanbase projected to grow nearly 40% globally by 2031, with the U.S. at the center of this expansion.

Patrick O'Keefe, chief integrated marketing officer at e.l.f. Beauty, highlights how the partnership promotes access and representation in sport:

"Soccer is uniquely powerful because it's the most played girls' team sport globally, which gives us the signal to continue to drive progress forward by removing barriers to entry so passionate, talented players have opportunities to reach their full potential."

e.l.f.'s core audience of Gen Z and Millennial women comprises the demographic driving this growth, which is part of what makes the NWSL a logical home for the brand.

The beauty brand's expansion in year two offers a few takeaways for companies building longer-term brand partnerships in women's sports:

• Phased expansion builds momentum. Rolling out partnerships over time allows each stage to take effect before scaling.
• Early athlete signings grow in value. Collaborations strengthen as athletes gain visibility over time.
• Community programs deepen brand meaning. Linking investment to local initiatives adds substance on top of sponsorship.

e.l.f. has been one of the more consistent brand presences in women's sport over the past few years.

Its commitments span the PWHL, NASCAR, wrestling, and Paralympic swimming alongside the NWSL deal.

Our Take: Is e.l.f. Getting the Timing Right?

We think that the women's soccer market is at an interesting point.

The numbers are strong, the fanbase is growing, and consistent brands are starting to see what this positioning is worth.

e.l.f. is in its second year with NWSL, and completing all 16 markets is the kind of move that makes a sponsorship feel like a real commitment.

We also think the SoccerGirl partnership is worth watching.

Taking a brand activation into underserved communities is a different kind of brief, and whether e.l.f. delivers on it will be telling.

Brands building partnerships in women's sports need agencies that understand how to connect commercial investment with authentic community presence.

Explore the top sports marketing agencies in our directory.