Women's Sports
July 14, 2024
The upcoming Olympic games will mark a very welcome change – there will be an equal number of men and women athletes competing for a chance at Gold. The Olympics have proven to be the rare channel where interest in men’s and women’s competitions are nearly on par. But lately, interest in women’s sports has ventured much further than just the Olympics. This past Spring, there was just as much, if not more buzz around superstar Caitlin Clark’s dominance on the basketball court as there was around the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship – “March Madness.” Ms. Clark’s impressive athleticism – she became the number one scorer of all time across men’s and women’s college basketball – has only helped strengthen the interest in women’s sports. Bob Iger and Willow Bay just purchased a controlling stake in Angel City FC, valuing the women’s football club at an estimated $300 million. Based on the trajectory of the value of women’s sports, they may be getting a deal. Women’s sports are expected to generate over $1 billion in revenue in 2024 (see chart below), and the growth trajectory is likely to only get steeper.
The interest in women’s sports has driven broadcasters to televise more events. That in turn has helped draw bigger audiences. A women’s college volleyball match last year between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Nebraska-Omaha saw over 92,000 fans in the stadium, a record for women’s sports. The large crowds bring advertising and sponsorships, which in turn bring more attention to women’s sports in a positive feedback loop.
Even my home football/soccer team of FC Porto is going to have a women’s team for the 24/25 season. While my daughters and I often watch women's tennis, I can't get them to watch football with me. Maybe this will finally change with the introduction of the women's team and I can take them to watch a match when we visit my hometown. For me, that would be a great win.