Women's & Mixed Sports

Finally, some progress! Women's sports are gaining the media exposure, audience growth, and sponsorship opportunities that were previously reserved for men's sports.

While disparity still exists, we're seeing positive momentum across various sports, contributing to a larger and more diverse sporting community.

  • Increased Viewership & Attendance: Live match attendance and broadcast viewing figures for women's sports, particularly football, are steadily increasing.

  • Primetime Coverage: Women's sports received more primetime broadcast Olympic coverage than men's sports at the Paris Olympics, and indeed, for the fifth Olympiad in a row, according to analysis

  • New Role Models: The increased visibility of women's sports is highlighting role models who are inspiring the next generation of athletes and fans, creating a more inclusive sporting landscape.

  • Investment & Sponsorship: Growing audience interest is leading to increased investment and sponsorship in women's sports, fueling further growth and development.

  • Grassroots development: Greater focus on developing grassroots initiatives and pathways to encourage girls and women to participate in sports at all levels

Future Outlook:

  • Continued growth towards parity in media coverage, sponsorship, and prize money between men's and women's sports

  • Establishment of more professional women's leagues across various sports, providing greater opportunities for female athletes

  • Increased collaboration between men's and women's sports organisations to share best practices and promote gender equality

  • Development of mixed-gender sports events and leagues to showcase the skills and competitiveness of both male and female athletes

  • Greater emphasis on using sports as a platform to advocate for social issues affecting women, such as gender-based violence, pay equity, and body positivity

  • Challenging Gender Norms: Women's sports will continue to challenge traditional gender norms, paving the way for greater equality and representation across all areas of society.

Examples:

⚽ AC Milan became one of the first football clubs to give a contract renewal guarantee for pregnant players in its new maternity policy.

⚽ The aggregate revenue of Women’s Super League (WSL) clubs rose by 50 per cent to UK£40 million (US$50.8 million) in the 2022/23 season, according to analysis from Deloitte.

🏀 May 2024 was the WNBA’s highest-attended opening month in 26 years and its most-watched start of season across all the networks ever.

🏃‍♀️ Two-thirds of UK Gen Z women are now engaging in sport according to EY’s Sports Engagement Index based on a survey of more than 4,000 UK adults.

⚽ Chelsea FC unveiled a strategic plan to put its women’s team on equal internal footing with the men’s, instead of being just a subsidiary.

⛹️‍♀️ Meta is streaming 20 WNBA games live on its Quest headsets through the Xtadium app. As well as 180 degree immersive vision, the Quest headset allows for community watch parties and virtual courtside access.