Women’s basketball has long been overlooked, although the sport has been making headway over the past few years. The WNBA secured a deal with Buzzer, a rising mobile platform that specializes in personalization and discovery of live sports.

The WNBA becomes the first women’s professional sports league to be offered on the platform. As part of the agreement, Buzzer will provide access to live WNBA game content.

The unique partnership is just another step toward increasing the popularity of women’s basketball.

What is Buzzer?

Buzzer was founded in 2020 by former Twitter director of live content Bo Han. The platform aims to provide sports consumers with live look-ins to sporting events.

One of the more compelling features of the platform is the personalization aspect. Fans can enter their team preferences and allow Buzzer to cater content specifically for them. The company’s mission is to “deliver the moments that matter to you most.”

Short-form content is the name of the game in today’s social media climate. The platform gives sports fans a taste of this concept through their app.

It currently has partnerships with the NBA, NHL, and the PGA Tour. Several notable athletes have invested in the startup, including Michael Jordan, Patrick Mahomes, and Naomi Osaka. The platform was included on Fast Company‘s list of the most innovative companies in 2021.

The app is currently in early access and is slated to officially launch in October.

The deal provides easier access to WNBA games

According to WNBA.com, “Buzzer will provide frictionless access to WNBA League Pass.” The out-of-market live game subscription service will be accessible to fans wherever they are.

The platform will provide 10-second game previews, then allow fans to purchase individual live regular-season games through the League Pass using micro-payments.

“Every market signal indicates that there’s an incredible appetite for women’s sports, yet there are still massive barriers to entry for fans to discover and watch,” Buzzer CEO Han said in a joint statement with the WNBA.

The NBA still reigns supreme in the popularity department in comparison to its sister company. However, the Buzzer deal will serve as an opportunity to grow the WNBA’s brand and reach more fans of the sport.

One of the game’s biggest stars is on board

Sabrina Ionescu is already one of the WNBA’s most recognizable names. The New York Liberty drafted the former Oregon Duck with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft.

The 23-year-old is another Buzzer investor and can’t say enough great things about the platform and its impact on the game.

With Buzzer, fans will have the opportunity to watch all the amazing moments in real time night after night in the W: incredible athletes, epic plays, history-making moments, and the thrill of close games or buzzer beaters. As someone that spends so much time on my phone, Buzzer is a product that caters to how I, and many other Gen Z fans, consume sports.

Buzzer recognizes the importance of amplifying women’s sports and reaching younger generations of sports fans, and this partnership with the WNBA is just the first step in realizing our mission to advance visibility of women’s sports

Sabrina Ionescu

Since she’s one of the best women’s basketball players in the world, Ionescu’s opinion holds weight. The Buzzer partnership is just one of the various strategies the WNBA has implemented to increase awareness. The league expanded its national broadcast coverage, with games available on ABC, ESPN, CBS Sports Network, and NBATV.

According to Just Women’s Sports, the WNBA saw a 25% increase in ratings in the first two weeks of the season. During that span, the league averaged 357,000 viewers across the ESPN family of networks.

The increase in viewership proves the market for women’s sports is growing. The exposure has been key in driving awareness to new heights.

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