According to former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders group leader Megan McElaney, the biggest change since the release of Netflix’s “America’s Sweethearts” has been how people see the women wearing the uniform.
“Before the show, there was already a strong level of recognition around the Cowboys Cheerleaders, but Netflix introduced the DCCs to a much larger global audience and gave people a deeper connection to the women behind the uniforms,” she said. “We’ve been recognized more as athletes and have seen more brands reach out that value the work we do.”
The audience growth is measurable. The first season of “America’s Sweethearts” drew 2.3 million views globally in its first four days, rising to 3.7 million the following week. Season three opened at No. 4 on Netflix’s global English-language TV chart in June, with 3.2 million views in its first six days.
Fashion and beauty companies are trying to turn that audience into customers.
This week, Sally Beauty announced its first professional football partnership, becoming the official beauty retailer of the Dallas Cowboys and the DCCs. Abercrombie & Fitch, meanwhile, expanded its existing Cowboys and DCCs relationship to include more products, athlete styling and year-round activations.
For the cheerleaders, Abercrombie is placing a branded closet inside their locker room at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The product assortment will be refreshed monthly and used by the squad for their off-field wardrobes. The wider Abercrombie x Cowboys collection is also gaining distribution through NFLShop.com and AT&T Stadium via the brand’s Fanatics partnership.
Sally Beauty plans to use the DCCs’ content, appearances and product demonstrations to show consumers how to recreate the squad’s game-day hair and nail looks. The partnership will also promote Sally’s growing men’s hair-care assortment.
Chris Kobus, chief marketing officer of Sally Beauty, said the deal plays into the retailer’s wider transformation and customer-acquisition strategy. It is meant to introduce Sally to consumers who may still view it primarily as a professional hair-care retailer.
“There is a lingering general perception that Sally is more of a functional retailer that majors in hair care,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail. “That’s no longer true, but to capture new shoppers, Sally must work at creating the view that it’s a place for inspiration and a destination for many beauty categories.”
The Cowboys already offer brands one of the NFL’s largest audiences. But the DCCs provide a different entry point, reaching consumers interested in beauty, fashion, dance and reality television who may not otherwise follow football.
Bob Heere, a University of North Texas professor specializing in sports management, said the DCCs have long provided the Cowboys with a bridge to women and the beauty and fashion industries. Netflix has substantially widened that bridge.
According to SponsorUnited, fashion and beauty sponsorship spending across the NFL rose 16.9% year over year to $58 million in the 2025-2026 season. The number of deals increased 11.7% to 105. Excluding venue naming-rights agreements, the Cowboys led NFL teams in both fashion and beauty deal count and revenue, attracting more than $8 million in category sponsorship spending during the 2025 season. The DCCs also have more Instagram followers than 12 NFL teams.
“The Cowboys give brands enormous reach, but the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders give them something different: an authentic bridge from sports into fashion, beauty, entertainment and lifestyle,” said Peter Carton, SMU’s executive director of sport industry engagement and partnerships.
But the growing commercial value of the DCC does not necessarily flow directly to the women.
“A team-level partnership can create more exposure and opportunities for the cheerleaders, but that doesn’t automatically mean an individual cheerleader receives compensation from that partnership,” McElaney said.
She pointed to the DCCs’ relationship with Charlotte Tilbury as an example of how partnerships can benefit the whole squad by making expensive game-day beauty routines more accessible. The brand has also hired individual cheerleaders to create game-day content. However, McElaney noted that not every member wants to become an influencer or build a public-facing personal brand.
That distinction matters as the Cowboys divide their beauty business into increasingly specific categories, including Charlotte Tilbury as an official beauty partner and Sally Beauty as its official beauty retailer. Carton said these relationships can coexist when each brand receives clearly defined product categories and activation rights.
The next test is whether the deals can produce more than signage and social impressions.
“The real opportunity is moving from sponsorship to commerce,” Carton said. “The question is no longer simply how many people saw your logo; it’s how many consumers engaged with your brand, entered your retail ecosystem or bought something because of the relationship.”
For McElaney, commercial success should also be measured by whether the women creating that value are included.
“The most valuable partnerships would be ones where the women themselves are meaningfully included, not just used as part of the visual identity of the brand,” she said.
News to know
- Donatella Versace and Revolve Group are forming a joint venture to launch a new fashion and beauty business aimed at younger consumers. The still-unnamed brand, set to debut products in 2027, will be Versace’s first independent venture since stepping down as Versace’s chief creative officer.
- E.l.f. Cosmetics has released “Mirror Mix,” its second original compilation album, featuring seven emerging artists across pop, R&B, Latin and rock, including Flau’jae Johnson, Joaquina, Mamii and Nezza. The album is available through Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and E.l.f.’s Roblox experience, with a live Genius Open Mic event planned for September 30. According to E.l.f., its first album generated more than 500,000 Spotify streams and 10 million YouTube views.
- Dr. Martens has launched “With Bouncing Soles,” a new brand platform starring Chloë Sevigny, Naomi Watanabe and Jordan Stephens. The campaign is part of the footwear company’s wider push to regain cultural relevance following several years of declining sales.
- Beyoncé’s Cécred has expanded beyond scalp and hair care with the $48 Restoring Lash & Brow Builder. The serum adapts technology from the brand’s existing Hair & Edge Drops for use on lashes and brows.
- Lashify has named two-time Emmy-winning makeup artist Ernesto Casillas as its newest brand ambassador. The partnership launches with the Ernesto Edit, featuring Casillas’s preferred Lashify products and signature lash maps.
Inside our coverage
The sports and beauty crossover still has ‘lots of room to grow’
Why Pinterest sponsored a phone-free London Fashion Week show
With Sephora joining TikTok Shop, is the social shopping platform becoming too big to ignore?
Why more fashion brands are using vintage fashion on the runways, in marketing and in-store
Reading List
Gap is getting into the boy-band business
