The WNBA has partnered with Glossier and Skims—now it’s added Opill, the new over-the-counter birth control
Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Hundreds of actors have signed a letter condemning racist hate against actress Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, teachers push for paid family leave, and the WNBA adds a buzzy new brand to its partnership roster. Have a thoughtful Thursday.
- Game-changer. Record viewership numbers for women’s sports are still in the process of translating to more dollars for leagues, teams, and players; take last weekend’s NCAA basketball finals in which the women brought in 4.1 million more viewers but were valued $866 million lower than the men in TV rights. But while media rights deals are renegotiated and investors steadily pour resources into new and existing teams alike, the WNBA has executed a partnership strategy that capitalizes on the league’s growing popularity.
The 28-year-old women’s basketball league has teamed up with buzzy brands that drive cultural conversations, much like its own players do. Haircare brand Mielle Organics was named the league's "official textured hair care partner" last July. Glossier became the league's official beauty partner in mid-2023. Kim Kardashian's Skims became the official underwear partner for both the WNBA and the NBA later that year.
The latest brand to join the mix is Opill, the new over-the-counter birth control pill produced by pharmaceutical company Perrigo. It’s an interesting partnership for the WNBA, whose players have openly discussed the difficulties of managing childcare and pregnancy alongside careers as professional athletes. And it’s a compelling platform for Opill, which is trying to build brand awareness as it introduces itself to customers who are used to accessing oral contraceptives only through medical providers.
The two parties announced their "game-changing" partnership, which is Opill’s first major campaign, at an event in New York this week. "We're looking for partners whose core values align with ours that also help amplify the work we're doing at the league," WNBA chief growth officer Colie Edison told me.
Opill and the league plan to make a splash at the WNBA draft on April 15. As this year's best-known college players like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark start their professional careers, Opill is looking to reach college students, a major market for over-the-counter contraceptives.
Since Opill started shipping a month ago, the product has been sent to 50 retailers, Perrigo women’s health lead Leila Bahbah told me.
When Perrigo acquired the rights to Opill (first approved on a prescription basis in 1973) from Pfizer and started the process of seeking over-the-counter approval a decade ago, the WNBA likely wouldn't have been the company's first choice for exposure. But women's basketball has grown so much in recent years that a partnership with the league is now a way to put a stake in the ground as a socially-conscious, culturally-relevant brand. "When you partner with the WNBA, it needs to be an authentic integration into who we are," Edison says.
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
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