Driving Diversity: WNBA Partner CarMax Enhances Role As League Changemaker
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 10:23PM By Barry Janoff
May 17, 2023: Already aligned via marketing deals with the NBA, WNBA and players including Sue Bird, Candace Parker and Stephen Curry, CarMax has now expanded its alliance as a WNBA partner.
The league said it has signed the national previously owned car platform to become its latest WNBA Changemaker through a new multi-year agreement and partnership renewal.
CarMax has been the official auto retailer of the WNBA and NBA since 2020.
WNBA said Changemakers "are a collective of purpose-driven companies that harness their power to elevate women in sports and support the league’s mission around advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion."
Changemakers also include AT&T, Deloitte, Nike and U.S. Bank.
“Through its dedication to the WNBA and its decision to step up to become one of our WNBA Changemakers, CarMax has demonstrated the commitment that women’s sports and the WNBA needs and deserves,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said via the league.
“The WNBA Changemakers platform was designed to bring together like-minded companies to join us in elevating the WNBA and women’s sports.
CarMax’s renewed commitment includes remaining as the WNBA and NBA official auto retailer and presenting partner of WNBA Tip-Off Presented by CarMax, which begins on opening night (May 19).
CarMax is also a local team partner of the New York Liberty and Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Mercury and Suns, and Washington Mystics and Wizards, as well as the LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors.
The company will also continue to run multi-media marketing with WNBA and NBA players.
Beginning this season, CarMax said it would take a “multi-platform approach to its role as a WNBA Changemaker to help drive brand awareness and visibility for the WNBA and its athletes through impactful storytelling and brand building opportunities,” including WNBA League Pass Tip-Off Test Drive by CarMax, Player Media Sessions and WNBA Untold Stories.
“WNBA athletes are powerful role models for today’s youth through their display of confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills, both on and off the court,” Sarah Lane, CarMax vp-marketing, said via the company.
“We hope that by elevating and increasing the visibility of these incredible athletes, we will also help girls in our communities feel inspired and empowered to reach their full potential,.”
To support CarMax becoming a WNBA Changemaker, people will receive ten days of complimentary WNBA League Pass, the league’s direct-to-consumer offering, featuring live out-of-market games as well as archived games, streamed through the WNBA App and WNBA.com.
Via Player Media Sessions, CarMax will host annual player media sessions for WNBA players. WNBA Untold Stories will see CarMax and the WNBA will collaborate on an annual content series to be distributed on league digital and social media platforms, as well as CarMax’s channels,
“We’re honored to join the WNBA Changemakers and are deeply proud of our investment in raising the visibility of women’s sports to help create a level playing field for future generations,” said Lane.