Women’s sports are on the upswing

More people are tuning-in to major women’s athletic events around the world than ever before. Some recent proof: last month’s UEFA European Women's Soccer Championship set an all-time attendance record for both the men’s and women’s tournaments (87,192), per recently released figures.

📈 But wait, there’s more… The 2021-2022 college season set a new all-time record for viewership across all NCAA women’s sports, according to ESPN. This includes the highest total for women’s March Madness since 2004.

Need even more? Coming right up.

• In 2021, the WNBA’s regular season saw a 49% increase in viewership from the previous year. The league’s audience grew an additional 16% this year to reach its highest level since 2008.
• The fledgling National Women's Soccer League (NSWL) recently attracted 456,000 viewers for a preseason match, after drawing no more than 190,000 in its first seven years of existence (through 2019).

👀 Looking ahead… Women's March Madness is projected to be worth $100 million/year on its own by 2025, per an NCAA-commissioned report published last fall. That’s roughly three times the amount ESPN currently pays the NCAA ($34 million) to air championships across 29 sports, including women’s basketball – though that deal is up for renegotiation in 2024.

+In the know: About 42% of all sports fans are women, per a recent study from collegiate sports marketing company Learfield.