Opill and the WNBA expand college presence to reach key demographics

The GIST: Birth control company Opill leveled up its WNBA partnership yesterday by increasing its collegiate campus presence. The two brands teamed up with the Black Women’s Health Imperative for IRL activations designed to inform Black women about their reproductive health and improve health equity while reaching another crucial demographic: college students. Right on.

The details: Adding to their existing collegiate initiative starring brand ambassador Napheesa Collier, the W and Opill will embark on a 15-stop campus tour across multiple states. HBCUs like Lincoln University and Spelman are included on the list, as well as a University of South Carolina stop that will feature WNBA–themed activations and player appearances.

The numbers: Opill told The GIST last year WNBA audiences overlap with a key demographic: young people looking for convenient birth control options. This growing demo loves the W: The league saw 259% growth in Gen Z and millennial women viewership YoY in 2024, which Opill benefited from by reaching 1.4M fans through WNBA activations last season.

The why: By sharing educational resources in person, both the WNBA and Opill have a decent shot at converting new fans. A Stanford University poll found college women’s basketball fans are more likely to become WNBA fans than NBA fans, so visiting schools with popular programs like South Carolina should allow the W to achieve its long-standing goal of winning over college fans.

Zooming out: Thanks to its in-person element and demographic focus, this represents a unique, mission-driven partnership for both Opill and the WNBA. Typically, the W invests in media partnerships, but hasn’t sought to recreate its All-Star marketing wins through other IRL experiences.

• This shift may be because it’s a new era for the WNBA: The brand has finally accumulated enough clout with the college crowd to capitalize on hype during the offseason. Convincing primed fans to follow NCAA heroes to the pros could be crucial for the league to build its audience. After all, who doesn’t love college?