BetterHelp, an online therapy platform, announced multi-year partnerships with the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, Dallas Wings and 2024 Champion New York Liberty.
BetterHelp offers access to licensed psychologists, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers and board-licensed professional counselors.
The partnership aims to align BetterHelp with the three WNBA teams’ mental health initiatives and to drive conversations about the importance of mental health awareness among athletes.
In a statement BetterHelp said that the multi-year partnerships will be presented across various channels, including connecting teams with licensed therapists via BetterHelp’s platform; in-arena experiences to promote mental health awareness; a digital content series with athletes and coaches sharing stories; and in-person community events to raise awareness around mental health in women’s sports.
Additionally, educational tools and resources will be utilized to give women athletes mental health skills.
“The extraordinary rise of women’s basketball is more than a sports story,” Sara Brooks, chief growth officer at BetterHelp, said in a statement.
“This is a cultural movement reaching millions of passionate fans. But with that spotlight comes pressure and for elite athletes, peak performance is not just physical, it is mental. Getting your head in the game means having the support to stay strong, focused and resilient.”
THE LARGER TREND
In May, Teladoc, the parent company of BetterHelp, acquired UpLift for $30 million. The acquisition added to the company’s suite of integrated virtual care services and bolstered its BetterHelp network.
With the acquisition of UpLift, Teladoc’s BetterHelp will expand its consumer-driven virtual therapy business, allowing benefits coverage networks to include its therapists in employer plans.
In 2024, Teledoc faced a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of Teladoc investors who claimed the company made false or misleading statements and failed to disclose that it continued to increase marketing spending, particularly regarding its BetterHelp offering.
Stary v. Teladoc alleged that the company publicly acknowledged that increasing marketing spend on BetterHelp would be inefficient due to market saturation while allegedly expanding its marketing spend on the online therapy platform throughout 2023.
The suit claimed that the increased spending had deteriorated the company’s revenue, leading to a substantial decline in its stock price.
In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission fined BetterHelp $7.8 million for allegedly sharing consumer data with third parties, including Facebook and Snapchat, for advertising purposes.
The proposed order also banned BetterHelp from disclosing health data for advertising.
