PRIMER
DEC. 2024
The Rise of Women’s Sports
BY OPENING ROUND
2024 was been a pivotal year for women in sports.
Deloitte forecasts that in 2024, for the first time women’s elite sports will generate revenue that surpasses $1 billion.
This represents a 300% increase on the industry’s evaluation in 2021.
Last year's Women's World Cup reached over 2 billion viewers, nearly double the 1.12 billion fans who watched the 2019 edition of the tournament.
In 2023 more than 20 global brands that buy and sell sports media and sponsorships came together to drive media spending to women’s sports.
Brands included names such as Morgan Stanley, Nike, Gatorade, Coca-Cola and Delta, in addition to leagues such as the WNBA and LPGA.
In the US, the value of women's professional soccer franchises have increased more than 10-fold in recent years. the Angel City FC team ownership group paid a $2 million fee to join the National Women's Soccer League in 2020.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers stand on the court during introductions before the match against the Omaha Mavericks at Memorial Stadium on August 30, 2023 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Steven Branscombe | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images
The Numbers Don’t Lie
→ Viewership for the 2022 WNBA playoffs was up 22% over 2021.
→ The National Collegiate Athletics Association Women's Final Four semifinals averaged 4.5 million television viewers, a 32% increase over 2022.
→ August 30, a college volleyball match in Nebraska drew a crowd of 92,000 - the largest to watch a women’s sports game ever.
Sources
“The sports where women outperform men”: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240731-the-sports-where-women-outperform-men
“Women Athletes Are the Sports World's Growth Stocks”
Bloomberg, 2023
“Women’s sports could bring in over $1 billion in 2024—record-breaking viewership”.
CNBC, 2024
“Global brands look to boost media investment in women’s sports through a new partnership, The Women’s Sports Club”.
CNBC - 2023
Go deeper:
Listen to “A Touch More with Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe”
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