Saturday Scroll: MLB wants to go with the (Aunt) Flow

Menstruation is usually a routine experience, yet it has a way of catching us off guard. That’s what inspired Coder to found Aunt Flow at age 18. Standing before a coin-operated dispenser, she dreamed of a better way — so she created it.

• The 10-year-old company now offers free period care in 70K bathrooms across 50 states and three countries. There are 150 universities and 4M students relying on its products, and over 30 professional sports stadiums across the NFL, MLS, and major and minor league baseball feature Aunt Flow in their bathrooms.

In MLB, Aunt Flow has partnered with the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, and, most recently, the Tampa Bay Rays. Fresh off a $60M stadium renovation, the Rays installed Aunt Flow dispensers at Tropicana Field this April — and since then, over 1.2K Rays fans have had access to period care.

• The company also hosted a “period party” activation with 500 period supply kits donated to the Tampa Bay community. It’s been a “meaningful collaboration,” said Coder, and indicates how cutting-edge facilities are considering women fans in their design, perhaps for the first time.

Aunt Flow’s deal to install dispensers in the Rays’ stadium is emblematic of a larger trend across MLB to acknowledge and attract women. All 30 teams offer initiatives, theme nights, and other events meant to target female fans, from women’s nights to the Boston Red Sox’s Women’s Fantasy Camp and the Colorado Rockies’ crossover event with the city’s new NWSL team.

• All 30 clubs also have accommodations for breastfeeding mothers thanks to the 2022 PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act. Some MLB clubs even have an “Uh Oh Box,” a supply box at guest services for all kinds of minor emergencies — think extra diapers, menstrual products, or bandages.

Infrastructure updates, like Aunt Flow’s integration into stadiums, are a particularly smart move. For billion-dollar venues, Aunt Flow is a “rounding error.” It costs stadiums anywhere from $10K to $25K annually to stock them, or a fraction of a penny per fan per year. It’s a low-cost, high-impact solution starting to catch on around the league, including in Cleveland and San Diego.

• Tampon brand Sequel was a pioneer in the space, partnering with the NY Yankees to become the first tampon brand to “establish both a commercial partnership and full product integration at an MLB stadium,” according to the league. Sequel even invited a few AUSL athletes to enjoy the free perks. A perfect pitch.

Stigma around periods is shrinking in all sectors of life, creating tangible impact for women and girls everywhere. When Coder launched Aunt Flow in 2016, there was “no [government] policy around accessible period care.” Today, 27 states require or fund complimentary period care at schools, where one in four students can’t afford such products.

• This “legislative tailwind” boosted awareness in the sports world. With female fandom growing (Coder notes MLB’s fan base is 39% women), venues want to draw and retain women fans. Creating spaces that welcome them is “really powerful,” she said.

It’s simple: When people feel welcome — like something is built for them — they’re more open to coming back. Coder said Tropicana’s enclosed dome maintains a temperature comfortable for male and female bodies. That’s something a lot of workplaces don’t consider, let alone massive venues. Stadium or sponsor, this is the mindset needed to fully unlock female fandom, period.

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• Coder says men that support Aunt Flow’s mission — affectionately known as “Flow Bros” — are often instrumental in bringing products to stadiums. That’s what happened at Tropicana, where two Flow Bros believed this was “critical to implement.”

• “It’s really not just a women’s issue: It’s an entire family issue,” she added.

Considering women fans isn’t just about showing up with the things they want, like better merch options or kid-friendly pregame activations. It’s crucial to show up with the things they need — that’s what they’re going to remember when they head to MLB games and can tackle unexpected periods. A friend in need is a friend indeed — and women fans tend to remember that.