WNBA App Update Review
The NBA recently pushed an update on the WNBA app just in time for the start of the season on May 14, 2021. Here are my initial thoughts from a product manager and customer perspective on some of the features available and areas of opportunity worth exploring.
About me: This is my first year watching WNBA games. My interest in women’s basketball started with the NCAA in March 2021. I happened to watch a TikTok video by Sedona Prince, which went viral and I’ve been hooked ever since. I also purchased the League Pass for the first time this year.
In regards to my usage behavior, I primarily use the app to:
- Check when the next game is scheduled
- Check where the game will be viewable (i.e., EPSN, CBSSN, Facebook, Amazon Prime, Twitter, etc.)
- Watch live games via League Pass when available
Let’s get started!
User Experience
To start, the app opens with a great montage highlighting WNBA players. It was awesome to see the update start off on a strong note by highlighting the players. As a new user, the latest tab doesn’t draw my attention and neither does the the videos tab. The quality of the content is key to making these sections desirable for users to use. In regards to usability, the ultimate goal for me as a user is to be able to check when the games are scheduled and where to watch them. I think the app accomplishes that well, although I do occasionally run into a bug when watching live games as a league pass user.
Latest tab: Featured and News
This is where you will find short blog posts and videos of newsworthy content. When I first downloaded the app, I was shocked to see that the League Pass promotion banner was not front and center. It definitely takes a few scrolls to come across the banner if you are looking to buy the league pass.
That said, I don’t use the Latest section as often as I would like. I’m a new user and a new fan of the WNBA. I will only click on posts regarding players I’ve been exposed to the most, which are primarily rookies and big names like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Candace Parker, and Brittney Griner.
Opportunity #1
To encourage more interaction with this section, I think this is the best time to reintroduce veteran players to a new generation of fans via short video highlights covering early beginnings to recent successes. Viewers respond well to carefully curated content that provides a glimpse of who these players are, but most importantly provides a sense of relatability. Two months ago I discovered who Diana Taurusi is and why they call her the White Mamba. I was appalled I went through life not knowing who she was. Two weeks ago I was watching every Candace Parker video on Youtube and now I am eager to watch her play.
Opportunity #2
After a few scrolls in, I came across a post promoting Fanzone, which is a dedicated chat for fans to connect with other fans during live games. This does not appear to be a fully functional feature the last time I checked. It might be a fake door test of some sort, but regardless, there is an opportunity here because WNBA tweets are rampant during WNBA games and so are the comment sections on Facebook when games are hosted via Oculus.
There is a community of WNBA fans out there using other apps to connect with each other. This should be a key focus as product improvements are prioritized down the road.
Games tab: Opportunity #3
If it was up to me, I would prioritize improving the games tab for the simple reason that I would most likely be measured by the number of viewers per game.
The current design accomplishes a simple task, which is informing users where and when to watch the next game. However, in the unique cases when games are hosted either on Twitter or Facebook, some users still have to go out of their way to find the link.
Products that bring value should be useful. Telling users where and when to watch is a start. You don’t want to lose viewers simply because they can’t find a readily accessible link to watch a game. This is a simple product improvement that can drive up viewership per game.
Opportunity #4
When creating an account on the WNBA app, you are asked to select your favorite team. I’m not sure if there are any benefits to selecting a favorite team on the app, but it would be neat to leverage this feature and have the ability to only filter the games my favorite team is scheduled to play. For those with more than one favorite team, it would be great to be able to filter and prioritize games where top favorite teams are playing against each other.
If I had to prioritize these product features, it would be in the following order:
- Opportunity #3 (Provide direct links to games): The feasibility appears to be low and the impact is high. It’ll get users to tune in and watch Facebook or Twitter WNBA games quick and easy.
- Opportunity #4 (filter favorite team schedule): The feasibility of this feature is medium, but this product feature supports the goal which is to get users to watch games. This can prove to be a great feature for users who want to plan ahead and need a reminder here and there.
- Opportunity #2 (Fanzone): This feature will likely require more time and resources. Providing a basic chat experience is a start, but it won’t drive viewership off the bat. Building a sense of community within the app requires more strategy, but it is worth pursuing as it will likely increase users on the app.
- Opportunity #1 (Curated content): This is pure content creation and falls under marketing efforts, but it is important. Depending on the content, it is likely that it will require additional product development to ensure the content is presented well in the app.
