- Millions more viewers are tuning in and actively following leagues like the WNBA and NWSL
- Attendance figures at women’s sporting events have skyrocketed around the world
- Sponsorship opportunities for women athletes abound as revenue projections cross $1B
For athletes, fans, and sponsors alike, the past year in women’s sports has been exceptional. From memorable FIFA Women’s World Cup performances to soaring viewership across the board, 2023–24 has brought a new level of recognition and excitement to women’s sports.
We’ve taken some time to delve into the impressive facts and figures surrounding this growth. We’ve highlighted the unprecedented rise in viewership, the ballooning attendance figures, and the accelerated financial growth.
It seems that 2023 marked a new era — not just for women’s achievement in sport, but recognition of it as well. While hoping to see this trajectory continue, let’s look back at some standout accomplishments.
Viewership is on the Rise
When analyzing the rising popularity of women’s sports, we need to mention the exponential increase in viewership. Recent data shows a vast increase in viewers of women’s sporting events 2023–24.
In the US, women’s professional and college basketball are both excellent case studies. In the WNBA, the 2022–23 season was the league’s most watched season in 21 years, averaging 505,000 per game. The star power behind the 2024 draft class — which included NCAA superstar Caitlin Clark going to the Indiana Fever as the No. 1 pick — will surely build on this momentum.
More Viewing Options Than Ever
Regular season WNBA games for 2024–25 will broadcast and stream on ABC, Amazon Prime, CBS, ESPN, and NBA TV, with the Disney family of channels holding exclusive rights to the playoffs.
March 2024’s NCAA tournament viewership stats are even more impressive. Fifty-seven games averaged 2.2 million viewers, representing a 121% increase over the 2023 tournament. The national championship that saw South Carolina defeat Iowa 87–75 averaged 18.9 million viewers, peaking at 24 million in the final 15 minutes.
Given this, the fact that more than 50% of American adults watched (or closely followed) women’s sports in 2023 is not surprising.
This growing interest isn’t isolated to basketball or the US, either. Viewership of the Women’s Super League in England jumped 81% between 2022 and 2023.
These viewership records prove that showcasing women’s sports on streaming platforms attracts dedicated fans. They also indicate an ever-growing interest, and it’s a fantastic sign for the future of women’s sports as a whole. Increased attention will likely lead to more media coverage and sponsorship opportunities.
More Viewers Than Ever
More than 50% of American adults watched (or closely followed) women’s sports in 2023.
This growing interest isn’t isolated to basketball or the US, either. Viewership of the Women’s Super League in England jumped 81% between 2022 and 2023.
These viewership records prove that showcasing women’s sports on streaming platforms attracts dedicated fans.
This rise in viewership indicates an ever-growing interest, and it’s a fantastic sign for the future of women’s sports as a whole. Increased attention will likely lead to more media coverage and sponsorship opportunities.
A growth in attendance figures
Attendance records at women’s sporting events have been similarly smashed in the past year.
One vivid signifier of this is an August 2023 volleyball match between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Omaha Mavericks. With 92,000 people in attendance at Lincoln Memorial Stadium, it drew the largest-ever crowd for women’s sports. The previous record was set at 91,648 attendees, when FC Barcelona played Wolfsburg in a Champions League match.
Similarly, in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the average attendance shot up from 9,585 in 2022, to 15,551 in 2023. And since March 2024, the league’s Kansas City Current has had a home field in a stadium purpose-built for the team.
Breaking Ground — Literally
The NWSL’s Kansas City Current plays in the first stadium in the world purpose-built for a women’s sporting franchise.
WNBA attendance was also impressively up 16% for the 2023 season, with an average attendance of 6,615 fans per game, its highest since 2018. Even more notably, Game 3 of the Finals at the Barclays Center in New York City actually hosted the largest crowd in WNBA history with 17,143 attendees. (The Las Vegas Aces went on to win the series against the New York Liberty and repeat as WNBA Champions).
Again, these record-breaking boosts have been seen internationally, with various other countries also seeing an increase in attendees. In the UK’s Women’s Super League (WSL), for instance, figures for average attendance noticeably surged; in the 2020–21 season, there was an average attendance of 363, which rose each year thereafter, peaking in the 2022–23 season with 7,471.
This growth and subsequent revenue from ticket sales may well lead to future investments in infrastructure and facilities. Equally, events with high attendance figures and subsequent vibrant atmospheres mean an enhanced experience for sporting professionals and fans alike.
Notable sponsorship deals in women’s sports
An increase in investments from organizations and sponsors has equally fueled the growth of women’s sports. With greater financial support being pumped into the industry, female athletes and sporting leagues benefitted significantly in 2023.
If the expansion of the women’s sporting market continues, we’re bound to see improved infrastructure, greater salaries, and an overall enhancement in the quality of the competition.
A Growing Source of Revenue
It’s projected that women’s elite sports will generate more than $1 billion in revenue for the first time in 2024. This is a whopping 300% increase of the 2021 industry evaluation.
Another similarly impressive statistic is that women’s professional sports sponsorships have increased by 22% for the 2023–24 season. The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) takes the lead with 1,100 sponsorship deals, increasing its total by an impressive 25%. This indicates a promising trajectory for the future of sponsorship deals.
In the UK, this season’s women’s FA Cup purse has doubled to $7.34 million; the UK club that wins the final match will earn $527,000 (on top of any other prize money attained throughout the tournament). This comes as the FA Cup already saw huge financial growth, with the previous year’s tournament prize money jumping from $490,000 to $3.68 million!
While the prize money for the FA men’s tournament is still considerably more ($25 million), the FA has made it clear they hope to see similar figures for the women’s game one day. This goal clearly reflects the ever-growing popularity of the women’s sporting scene.
The past year included unprecedented growth in women’s sports in terms of viewership, attendance figures, and finances. But what does this mean for the rest of 2024 and beyond?
At the Sports Geek, we’re optimistic the momentum and excitement surrounding women’s sports will continue, given the indications from the past year that demonstrate its ongoing rise in popularity. There are more exciting events to come in 2024 — the US Open, the Paris Olympics, the Women’s Cricket World Cup — each with further opportunities for growth and exposure for women athletes.
For even more expert insight from our team, head on over to The Sports Geek blog.
Sources
BBC
Ohio State University
Soccer Stadium Digest
