Sephora’s partnerships team has had a busy 2025. In sports alone, the beauty retailer is the official partner of the offseason women’s basketball league Unrivaled; a founding partner of the Golden State Valkyries, San Francisco’s new WNBA team; and the exclusive beauty partner of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. In addition, in January, the retailer made Hulu a partner, working with the platform to release the “Faces of Music” docuseries, featuring Chappell Roan, Victoria Monét, and Becky G. And in March, it was featured prominently in the Netflix series “Running Point.“
On Wednesday, Sephora announces its latest partnership, becoming the first-ever Official Beauty Retailer of the Radio City Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular.
“We love being in new spaces where we can excite and ignite conversations,” said Jessica Stacey, svp of external communications, experiential and marketing partnerships at Sephora. Stacey said Sephora has been interested in partnering with the Rockettes for some time and started re-engaging in conversations late last year. The timing ended up being ideal, as the Rockettes are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year.
“We thought there would be so many wonderful synergies for us to be able to celebrate everything the Rockettes represent, whether it’s their precision, their athleticism, their sisterhood or the wonderful tradition over the holiday period,” Stacey said.
According to Jessica Tuttle, evp of productions at The Madison Square Garden Company, approximately 1 million people see the Rockettes perform IRL during their eight-week holiday run each year, but their reach is actually much larger. “We have huge fans throughout the world that might never actually see the Rockettes in person,” she said, noting that the dance company’s social media reach surpasses 6 million across its social media platforms. In the past year, the Rockettes have gained 1.2 million followers and garnered 750 million video views on their content, Tuttle said.
Like other performers, including the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and many Broadway actors, the Rockettes do their own hair and makeup.
“We have 84 unique women on the line. And so, there are different skin tones and different skin types. We’ve got blondes, and we’ve got redheads, and we’ve got braids. … A beauty retailer is uniquely poised to offer [solutions for all of that],” Tuttle said of the partnership. Some of the Rockettes’ most engaged content has been GRWM posts, Tuttle said, which has proven their audience’s interest in beauty.
As for how the partnership will come to life, Stacey called it a “social-first partnership.”
Content will include social videos like “What’s Your Red?” featuring three Rockettes and focused on their signature red lip look. There will also be a “Train Like a Rockette” video featuring three Rockettes, Peloton instructor Jessica Sims, influencer Christina Kirkman and Sephora beauty director David Razzano. Finally, a “GRWM” video will feature one Rockette alongside the hair-care brand Rōz’s founder, celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak. This content will live on both brands’ social media channels, across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
Though some other brands will be featured in the content, the primary focus will be on the retailer’s in-house products under the Sephora Collection brand. To that end, each dancer will be gifted a custom makeup trunk filled with its products. The content, Stacey said, “really celebrates what happens backstage and how all of the beauty — that they do themselves, which is incredibly impressive — comes together, and then how that translates to being on stage.”
Of the social-first approach, Stacey said, Sephora loved that it allows for followers to feel involved, no matter where they may be geographically. Those who are in New York City, however, will have opportunities to attend meet-and-greets with the Rockettes at a Sephora store.
Other touch points will include a Sephora digital billboard in Times Square and digital signage at Radio City Music Hall. Sephora’s VIB Rouge members, who spend over $1000 per year, will be able to use points to redeem tickets and special experiences to see the Christmas Spectacular.
Stacey hopes that, in addition to “exciting existing customers,” the partnership will also bring in new ones. “Obviously, at the end of the day, one of our goals is continuing to expand our audience reach,” she said.
“In this 100th season, to be able to align with an institution that holds many of the same values that we do — [including] diversity, empowerment and the beauty of artistry — and to be able to celebrate the Rockettes’ iconic beauty, is an amazing opportunity,” Stacey said.
