The Washington Spirit and CVS Health will announce Friday a three-year partnership renewal that is among the most valuable deals in the National Women’s Soccer League, according to a statement from the club.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed aside from it being a ‘multimillion-dollar investment in the club and women’s sports.’
As part of the deal, the Spirit, who lost in the 2024 NWSL playoff championship, will continue to wear the CVS Health logo on both their home and away uniforms. The announcement comes ahead of the Spirit’s first home game of the 2025 NWSL season at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday against the Kansas City Current.
‘Our partnership renewal with CVS Health goes beyond a business deal — it is a validation of where our team, league and women’s sports as a whole are headed,” Washington Spirit Owner Michele Kang said in a statement obtained by USA TODAY. ‘When you have influential, national brands like CVS Health recognizing the trajectory of our club and wanting to be an integral part of our growth, it is a testament to the sport’s increasing relevance in both business and American culture.’
CVS Health has been a kit sponsor of the Spirit since 2020. The new 2025 kit ‘Shockwave’ was made by Nike and has two new shades of green added to the signature neon yellow.
The partnership includes CVS Health committing to ‘support community programs that empower women and improve community health,’ according to the statement. The stadium will host ‘CVS Health Day’ Oct. 18, which will include ‘health-related initiatives and programming emphasizing women’s health.’
‘We think it’s the right place to be, and the right team to support,’ Melissa Schulman, senior vice president of government and public affairs for CVS Health, told USA TODAY. ‘We don’t necessarily think about it (as), ‘What’s the ROI on the jersey?”
Instead, Schulman said they entered the partnership with ‘eyes wide open’ years ago, viewing it somewhat as a startup investment that would pay dividends in the future and was a good fit for the company’s goals of helping adults and children make healthy choices. And, ‘it just felt right,’ she said.
Recognition of the Spirit’s stadium and operations teams, along with local CVS store employees, will continue. One stadium employee will also be honored for their commitment and customer service during a ceremony before each home game.
The Spirit say the partnership will also include player panels with CVS branding inside and outside Audi Field, along with in-game Field LEDs displaying the CVS Health logo and tagline message, ‘Healthier Happens Together.’
‘From the beginning, our partnership with CVS Health has been rooted in community impact,’ Spirit CEO Kim Stone said in the statement, ‘and setting a new standard for what’s possible through women’s sports.’
USA TODAY reporter Jason Anderson contributed to this report.
