With March Madness upon us, we wanted to know: Can we see the impact of a sports team winning on their fans’ tipping behaviors? In other words, do hometown wins mean more tips for hometown drivers? 

The answer is yes — but not for all sports. 

Before we get into basketball, let’s start with (arguably) the biggest American sports event of the year: the Super Bowl. This year, the correlation was clear (and not just because people were taking way more rides to bars and parties on the day, although that certainly helps). When the Seattle Seahawks took home football’s greatest trophy last month, people in Washington state tipped 31% above average. Specifically, Tacoma residents reached 61% above the average. On the other hand, riders in Massachusetts (where the runners-up, the New England Patriots, are based) tipped 9% below average.

This phenomenon seems to hold true for baseball fans, too. Consider the Philadelphia Phillies’ previous baseball season: After the first 16 games, the Phillies’ record was 9-7, a fairly even number of wins and losses. Not only did winning increase the dollar amount riders tipped their drivers in Philadelphia (13% more), but it also increased the share of riders who tipped (45% more). Similarly, losses resulted in smaller tips and fewer tippers (both metrics dipped lower than the average of non-game days).

However, the Lyft data on March Madness suggests the championships had less of an impact on basketball fans’ tipping behaviors (especially compared to the Super Bowl’s effect on football fans). Similarly, wins and losses for the WNBA did not have the same kind of impact on tips, based on an analysis of the Indiana Fever’s record and tip rates in Indianapolis, as well as the New York Liberty’s record with New York City tippers. 

In fact, the only basketball-related correlation we could find was when San Fran’s Golden State Warriors played in the NBA playoffs last year. But while wins during the playoffs led to more people tipping than usual (and losses, fewer), the data showed that both wins and losses led to higher tip amounts. 🤷

Perhaps basketball fans are not as swayed by a win or a loss — or possibly they make up a smaller percentage of riders — so changes in tipping habits aren’t large enough for a pattern to be recognizable. 

But at least one lesson seems clear for Lyft drivers: If your city’s football or baseball team whips out a W, try to hop behind the wheel and bring the fans home! The tipping could be in your favor.