What Los Angeles Sparks does

The Los Angeles Sparks are a professional women's basketball franchise and one of the WNBA's original eight teams, established in 1997. The team is privately held, owned by Mark Walter (who also holds minority stakes in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers), and operates under the corporate umbrella of NBA Media Ventures, LLC. The Sparks play home games at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles and are building a $150 million dedicated practice facility in El Segundo. As of late June 2026, the team sits 6th in the Western Conference at 8-9, competing to end the longest active playoff drought in the WNBA (since 2020).

The franchise's commercial product portfolio is built around four revenue streams: (1) ticketing — single-game tickets ($26–$3,417 range), season ticket memberships, half-season plans, and group tickets sold via the AXS platform and at the Crypto.com Arena box office; (2) corporate sponsorship — anchored by Albert as the official jersey patch partner (the largest such deal in franchise history) and State Street Investment Management/SPY as Official Investment Management and ETF Partner, with arena-wide pole pad and LED signage; (3) merchandise sold direct-to-consumer through shoplasparks.com; and (4) league-shared media rights flowing from the WNBA's $3 billion-plus broadcast deal with Disney, NBC, and Amazon. The team supplements these with community programs (JR Sparks, Balln' On The Beach, Keeping Kids In The Game) and cultural events (Pride Night, the 30th-anniversary celebration, Lisa Leslie statue unveiling on September 20, 2026).

The Sparks go to market through a multi-channel approach: official website (sparks.wnba.com), AXS digital ticketing, the shoplasparks.com e-commerce storefront, the Crypto.com Arena box office, and active social profiles (@LA_SPARKS on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok). On-court operations are led by Head Coach Lynne Roberts and General Manager Raegan Pebley, with Stacy Johns appointed President on April 28, 2026, succeeding Christine Monjer. Roster leadership rests on a 2026 win-now core of Nneka Ogwumike, Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby, and Ariel Atkins, supported by developmental signee Kate Martin and 2026 draft picks Ta'Niya Latson and Chance Gray.

Name

Los Angeles Sparks

Legal name

Los Angeles Sparks

Website

https://lasparks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Los Angeles Sparks are a privately held WNBA professional basketball franchise, owned by Mark Walter, that plays home games at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and generates revenue from ticketing, corporate sponsorships (Albert, State Street/SPY), merchandise, and league media rights.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Women's Basketball Franchise

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Venue-Owned/Operated Event Organizers (In-House Promoters) (MPAKADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fan Apparel & Wearables Retail (Licensed) (CRAMAOAE), Athlete & Team Sponsorship Deals (Official Partners, Jersey/Kit Sponsors) (MPAKALAA)

Keywords

• Professional basketball franchise
• Women's sports entertainment
• Live game ticketing
• Team merchandise sales
• Sports community programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from single-game tickets, season ticket memberships, half-season plans, and group tickets sold through AXS platform at Crypto.com Arena
2. Sponsorship & Partnerships: Jersey patch partnership with Albert, official investment management partnership with State Street/SPY, and various corporate sponsorship deals including arena branding
3. Merchandise & Apparel: Online shop (shoplasparks.com) selling team merchandise, apparel, and memorabilia
4. Broadcasting & Media Rights: WNBA media rights deal valued at $3 billion-plus with Disney, NBC, and Amazon generating revenue shared across teams

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Los Angeles Sparks operate a WNBA professional women's basketball franchise that sells live game attendance, season and single-game tickets, official team merchandise and apparel, and community youth basketball programs. Revenue is generated through ticket sales at Crypto.com Arena, online merchandise via ShopLASparks.com, corporate sponsorships (including Albert jersey patch and State Street/SPY), and WNBA broadcast media rights.

Product overview

Los Angeles Sparks is a WNBA professional basketball franchise offering live game entertainment at Crypto.com Arena. The team's product portfolio centers on game tickets (single games, season memberships, half-season, and group packages), official merchandise through ShopLA-Sparks.com, and community outreach programs including JR Sparks, Balln' On The Beach, and Keeping Kids In The Game. The franchise generates revenue through ticket sales, merchandise, and corporate sponsorship partnerships including Albert (official jersey patch partner) and State Street Investment Management/SPY (official investment management and ETF partner). The team competes in the WNBA's 30th anniversary season celebrating the league's inaugural 1997 game.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single Game Tickets Individual game tickets for Los Angeles Sparks WNBA regular season home games at Crypto.com Arena, priced per game based on opponent and seat location.
• 2026 Season Ticket Membership Full-season ticket membership package providing access to all Sparks home games at Crypto.com Arena along with exclusive member benefits and guaranteed access.
• Half Season Tickets Partial-season ticket package providing access to a defined subset of Sparks home games with member-style benefits.
• Partial Plans Customizable ticket packages allowing fans to hand-pick specific home games they want to attend during the Sparks WNBA season.
• Group Tickets Discounted ticket packages for groups, parties, and organizations attending Sparks games together at Crypto.com Arena.
• Sparks Team Merchandise Official Los Angeles Sparks team merchandise, apparel, and memorabilia sold through the online ShopLASparks.com storefront.
• JR Sparks Youth Program Community youth basketball development and engagement program operated by the Los Angeles Sparks franchise to introduce young fans to the sport.
• Balln' On The Beach Community basketball event and outreach program hosted by the Los Angeles Sparks to engage local fans and families in the LA market.
• Keeping Kids In The Game Youth sports participation and health initiative operated by the Los Angeles Sparks to keep children active in athletics and community sports programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• First win of season achieved vs Toronto Tempo 99-95 on May 15, 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• State Street Investment Management / SPY ETFcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 June 2026Designated as the team's official investment management partner and SPY as the official ETF partner. Includes prominent arena branding at Crypto.com Arena through pole pad signage and LED displays, along with co-branded content across digital and social platforms. Aims to connect fans to investing while promoting women's sports.
• Albert (Jersey Patch Partner)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial jersey patch partner for the Los Angeles Sparks; largest jersey patch partnership in franchise history

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Indiana Fever: WNBA franchise benefiting from the same league-wide media rights deal, attendance boom, and shared sponsorship economics. Most directly comparable as a similarly-sized WNBA team competing for national attention, sponsorship dollars, and viewership in the women's basketball category.
• New York Liberty: WNBA franchise that played the Sparks in the record-setting 30th anniversary game. Most directly comparable as another major-market, original WNBA team with deep championship heritage, sharing the same league-wide media and sponsorship tailwinds.
• Chicago Sky: WNBA franchise that traded Ariel Atkins to the Sparks in 2026. Directly comparable as a major-market WNBA team competing for sponsorship revenue, ticket sales, and league-wide attention under the same structural economics.
• Phoenix Mercury: Western Conference WNBA franchise and direct divisional rival. Comparable as a WNBA team competing in the same conference for playoff positioning, sponsorship dollars, and fan attention.
• Connecticut Sun: WNBA franchise that has been the subject of recent franchise-sale discussions. Comparable as another WNBA team whose valuation provides a market reference point for Sparks franchise value under the new league economics.
• Seattle Storm: WNBA franchise that lost Nneka Ogwumike to the Sparks in 2026. Comparable as a championship-winning Western Conference rival with similar attendance and sponsorship economics, sharing the same league media-rights pool.
• Minnesota Lynx: WNBA franchise with multiple championships and a deep roster of league MVPs. Closely comparable as another original WNBA franchise with proven on-court success and similar revenue-model mechanics.
• Las Vegas Aces: WNBA franchise and the team that traded Kelsey Plum to the Sparks. Directly comparable as a Western Conference rival competing for the same fan base, sponsorship dollars, and playoff positioning under the shared league economics.

Emerging players

• Golden State Valkyries: Newest WNBA expansion franchise that paid a $50M expansion fee. Comparable as a fellow WNBA team sharing the league's new media-rights economics, though it lacks the Sparks' championship heritage and 30-year brand equity.

Broad incumbents

• Los Angeles Dodgers: MLB franchise owned by the same person (Mark Walter) as the Sparks. Comparable as the LA market's premier professional sports franchise and as a cross-asset ownership peer that may shed light on how Walter's group operates its sports investments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/la_sparks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheLosAngelesSparks
• Facebookfacebook.com/losangelessparks
• Instagraminstagram.com/la_sparks
• TikToktiktok.com/@losangelessparks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/los-angeles-sparks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Los Angeles Sparks