New York Liberty

What New York Liberty does

The New York Liberty is a professional women's basketball franchise competing in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), founded in 1997 as one of the league's eight original charter teams. The franchise is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, and plays home games at Barclays Center. It is owned by Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, who also control the Brooklyn Nets and Long Island Nets through Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment; Keia Clarke serves as Chief Executive Officer and Jonathan Kolb as General Manager, with Chris DeMarco as Head Coach.

The Liberty's core product is live professional basketball entertainment, anchored by a 12-player roster that won the franchise's first WNBA championship in 2024 and is currently 12–7 in the 2026 season. The franchise operates a complementary content and digital ecosystem including the Liberty Unlocked documentary series, Seafoam Central editorial platform, a dedicated mobile application (iOS and Android), and active presence across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, and TikTok. Underlying supporting functions include a 30-person front office covering basketball operations, analytics, performance, health and medicine, and brand/partnerships — with specialized roles in innovation, basketball strategy, and player development.

The Liberty generates revenue across three primary streams: ticket sales (single-game, season memberships, mini plans, premium seating, luxury suites, and group experiences distributed via Ticketmaster and the Barclays Center box office), corporate sponsorships (multi-year deals with 11+ named partners across banking, insurance, tech, retail, and luxury categories including Barclays as the Official Banking Partner and jersey patch sponsor), and merchandise sold through the official online team store. The franchise sells exclusively to a horizontal consumer segment — WNBA basketball fans in the New York metro and broader national/international basketball audience — and operates in a single domestic geography (Northeast / Eastern Conference), with global reach provided by the league-level WNBA League Pass streaming service and broadcast partners.

Name

New York Liberty

Legal name

New York Liberty

Website

https://liberty.wnba.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The New York Liberty is a professional WNBA women's basketball franchise founded in 1997, owned by Joe and Clara Wu Tsai, and based at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where it plays home games and generates revenue from tickets, corporate sponsorships, and merchandise for New York-area and national basketball fans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Entertainment (WNBA Basketball Franchise)

NAICS

Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Casino Resorts (Casino + Hotel/Entertainment) (MPAEAAAA)

Keywords

• Professional basketball team
• WNBA franchise
• Live sports entertainment
• Season ticket memberships
• Team merchandise retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from single game tickets, season memberships, mini plans, premium seating, luxury suites, and group experiences sold directly to consumers at Barclays Center
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Multi-year partnerships with companies including Alipay+, Barclays, Spotify, Tissot, Sunglass Hut, Bumble, Liberty Mutual Insurance, CarMax, HSS, Coinbase, and WNYW FOX5 for official designations, jersey patches, and marketing activations
3. Merchandise and Retail: Sale of team merchandise through the official team store

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The New York Liberty is a professional women's basketball franchise that sells live game entertainment at Barclays Center in Brooklyn through single-game tickets, season memberships, mini plans, premium seating, luxury suites, and group experiences. Complementary revenue lines include team merchandise sold through the official online store, corporate sponsorships, digital content (Liberty Unlocked, Seafoam Central), and community engagement programs.

Product overview

The New York Liberty is a professional women's basketball team and entertainment franchise. The team's core offering is live basketball games at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, complemented by digital content (Liberty Unlocked video series), community programs (Threes for Trees, LIBS4KIDS, Brooklyn Basketball), merchandise sales, and a mobile application for fan engagement. The franchise operates as a WNBA team under owner Joe Tsai and is not structured as a technology platform with modular products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ellie the Elephant: Team mascot - Ellie the Elephant serves as the official mascot of the New York Liberty, representing strength, power, wisdom, and determination.
• Lil' Torches
• Timeless Torches

Products and services

• Single Game Tickets

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SpotifycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2026Landmark multi-year music partnership announced April 2026.
• TissotminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 April 2026Official Watch Partner of the New York Liberty.
• Sunglass HutminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 April 2026Official Sunglass Partner.
• Alipay+ (Ant International)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Multi-year sustainability partnership making Alipay+ an Official Sponsor and Innovation Partner for Sustainability. Launched 'Threes for Trees' initiative committing to plant one tree in NYC for every three-pointer the Liberty makes at home games. Also includes community programs such as sneaker drive and Math Hoops educational initiative.
• Liberty Mutual InsurancecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2025Multiyear partnership announced May 2025.
• BumbleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2024Partnership furthering commitment to women's sports.
• BarclayscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Official Banking Partner and Official Jersey Patch Partner. Home arena naming rights holder for Barclays Center where Liberty plays home games.
• Empire BlueCross BlueShieldminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Multi-year deal to address health inequities and social justice.
• CoinbasecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommissioner's Cup Championship presented by Coinbase - title sponsor for championship game.
• HSS (Hospital for Special Surgery)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive-year partnership extension for healthcare services. First-ever jersey patch partner. Community basketball partnership for player health and wellness.
• CarMaxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Used Auto Retail Partner of Barclays Center, Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, and Long Island Nets.
• WNYW FOX5 New YorkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial TV Partner with multi-year extension signed March 2025. Broadcast partner for game coverage.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Las Vegas Aces: The Las Vegas Aces are a direct WNBA peer and fellow recent dynasty, having won back-to-back WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023. Both franchises compete for league titles, national media attention, and premium sponsorship dollars in the women's basketball market.
• Indiana Fever: The Indiana Fever are a direct WNBA peer that has experienced a major viewership and sponsorship surge driven by Caitlin Clark. Both teams compete for ticket revenue, national TV ratings, and corporate sponsorships as flagship WNBA franchises.
• Los Angeles Sparks: The Los Angeles Sparks are a direct WNBA peer and fellow original-eight franchise. Both compete in major U.S. media markets, share a historic rivalry dating to the 1997 inaugural WNBA game, and target similar premium sponsorship categories.
• Chicago Sky: The Chicago Sky are a direct WNBA peer, an original-eight franchise and 2021 WNBA champion. The Liberty have made multiple player transactions with the Sky (e.g., Rebekah Gardner acquisition), reflecting shared talent market dynamics.
• Connecticut Sun: The Connecticut Sun are a direct WNBA peer and frequent trade partner, with the Liberty acquiring Jonquel Jones, Kayla Thornton, and Natasha Cloud from Connecticut. Both compete for Eastern Conference playoff positioning and player talent.
• Seattle Storm: The Seattle Storm are a direct WNBA peer with multiple championships and a history of player transactions with the Liberty (Natasha Howard, Sami Whitcomb acquisitions). Both compete for sponsorships and national fan engagement.
• Minnesota Lynx: The Minnesota Lynx are a direct WNBA peer and historically dominant franchise with four championships. They compete with the Liberty for league prestige, playoff positioning, and player free-agent signings.

Broad incumbents

• Brooklyn Nets: The Brooklyn Nets share Barclays Center as their home arena with the Liberty and operate under overlapping Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment ownership/administration. They are the most direct NBA comparable given shared venue operations, premium seating strategy, and corporate sponsorship overlap (e.g., CarMax is partner to both).

Emerging players

• Golden State Valkyries: The Golden State Valkyries are an emerging WNBA peer as the league's 13th expansion franchise. They represent competitive pressure on the Liberty for national media share, sponsorship dollars, and the limited pool of elite women's basketball talent.
• NWSL teams (e.g., NJ/NY Gotham FC): Other women's professional sports teams in the NYC market, particularly NWSL franchises like Gotham FC, are emerging peers in the broader women's sports ecosystem, competing for the same corporate sponsors (Barclays, etc.), female fan demographic, and limited local media coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nyliberty
• YouTubeyoutube.com/NewYorkLiberty
• Facebookfacebook.com/nyliberty
• Instagraminstagram.com/nyliberty
• TikToktiktok.com/@nyliberty
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ny-liberty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New York Liberty