WNBA and CarMax benefit from free early-season content offerings

The GIST: Yesterday, the WNBA announced that partner CarMax activated its Tip-Off Test Drive promotion once again, meaning fans can catch the beginning of the season on WNBA League Pass for free. Sponsoring exclusive, free content is a fantastic way to rev up positive brand association, which is especially key in a space where consumers reward their favorite sponsors. Driving to the basket.

The details: From May 16th to 21st, fans can stream up to 12 games for free on the WNBA App without a subscription or entering payment info. Additionally, CarMax plans to extend this offering during other portions of the upcoming season.

The precedent: While the NWSL+ app is free, men’s sports have monetized their app offerings with select networks and league partners. The NBA App is powered by league partner Microsoft, while Amazon has offered Prime members a free seven-day trial of NBA League Pass — and that’s before its new NBA partnership kicks in.

• And though it’s tough to break into the NFL media rights landscape, YouTube managed to do so by paying $2B annually for NFL Sunday Ticket, a move that drove up YouTube TV subscriptions from 5M in 2022 to more than 8M after the 2023 season. The kick is good.

The benefit: There’s plenty of data proving people love a free trial, with an estimated 58% to 78% converting to paid subscriptions afterwards. Less than 6% of subscribers make a habit of canceling subscriptions during the trial, proving a free sample is often a baited hook for a long-term customer. For a league looking to grow fandom, a trial is a hassle-free way to appeal to new viewers.

• And for CarMax, a brand that is intentionally striving for brand consideration in the NWSL and WNBA, it’s an easy way to win favor among women’s sports fans who tend to favor companies that sponsor their favorite leagues and athletes.

Zooming out: It’s no secret that people love freebies, and while CarMax’s approach is a low-lift, high-impact way of reaching engaged W viewers, there are other creative ways sponsors can get a similar boost. Offering discounts on merch or ticket prices are also ways brands can encourage fandom and, by extension, brand loyalty. And one.