Everyone is playing (and paying) women’s flag football

While there’s still higher male participation in the U.S., flag football is rapidly flourishing among women and girls. During the 2023–2024 season, nearly 43K girls played in high school (105% increase YoY), while other data suggests about 500K girls aged 6 to 17 years old participated at some level in 2023.

Flag football has been heralded for the safety it offers compared to traditional tackle football, hence its widespread youth participation. And in an era of increasing focus on gender equity in sport, it’s touted as a way for women to play football — high schools are racing to offer it, and it’s getting NCAA support with at least 65 schools launching programs last year.

• Historically, sexist undertones have shaped the way women are funneled into flag — as Michael A. Messner wrote in the Los Angeles Times, “the simple answer to why most high school girls are channeled into flag football seems to be that people see tackle football as too violent and too dangerous for girls.”

• This is why girls’ tackle football isn’t protected under Title IX, and schools have no obligation to offer it — something football pioneer Sam Gordon and her father, Brent, have rallied against. Women’s pro tackle leagues like the WFA have also struggled to gain traction like flag has.

Nonetheless, flag’s rise is a great opportunity for women and girls in sports: Since flag football is considered a “safe option,” it’s rapidly being set up as their entry point to the game. There is significant investment in creating a structured youth, college, and pro pipeline for girls and women, and brands are leaning in.

The NFL is the most important player driving infrastructure and brand growth for women’s professional flag. The league voted in favor of investing up to $32M to establish a pro flag football league, while the NFL’s Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers have spent millions to grow the girls’ game locally. The NFL’s support has also bolstered the game’s marketing power.

• Flag was in the spotlight at Super Bowl LX, allowing other powerful brands to promote the game on a commanding NFL stage. Take Toyota, which sponsored the Glow Up Classic to give Bay Area girls a platform for their game.

NFL Global Flag ambassadors Vanita Krouch, Diana Flores, and Ashlea Klam are quickly becoming faces of flag, and brands beyond the NFL are taking notice. Krouch was recently named to Ulta’s inaugural athlete roster, while Klam and Flores starred in the aptly named Prime Video documentary The Future Is Flag and have deals with Under Armour (UA).

• Diaz told us that since SMAC began repping Flores three years ago, she has signed over two dozen partnerships, becoming the first flag ambassador for several of these, including Oakley, Gatorade, UA, and Invisalign.

Considering the surging equipment needs at the youth level, it makes sense apparel brands are staking claims on flag’s future. Earlier this month, UA and Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation pledged a collective $1M for girls’ programs before unveiling a renewed “Click Clack” campaign starring Klam and Flores.

• Rutsein told us when the campaign video launched, it banked over 4M views across platforms, with 70% of engagement fielded from non-followers.

• Oakley is another world-class flag supporter, hosting its Oakley Icon Alliance championship tournament at the LA Chargers practice facility last weekend and prior games at other NFL facilities.

Supporting the sport’s youth movement is a favorite strategy of companies pioneering in this space. Toyota is a prime example — it leveraged its dealership network to invest in flag at a grassroots level and fill a critical gap in youth sports investment. Plus, fellow auto brand Bridgestone partnered with NFL teams to facilitate girls’ flag football growth in their respective markets.

• Invisalign has doubled down on its strategy, partnering with the aforementioned Flores and hosting youth football clinics in LA.

While investing in young athletes is an ideal way to get involved, there are other ways to target flag’s growing audience. Women’s flag swept viewership at The World Games in 2025, with its popularity at this global tournament making its Olympic case. The NFL has repeatedly used its Super Bowl audience to promote its message of equity via flag.

• Others are focusing on reaching streaming audiences through behind-the-scenes storytelling, like the aforementioned The Future of Flag doc on Prime Video.

Whether it’s campaigns featuring flag athletes, youth football clinics, or new channels to reach audiences, associated sponsors can bank on accruing brand glow for supporting gender equity in sports.

• For marketers, that’s an especially appealing play, and reaching NFL audiences certainly doesn’t hurt. Neither does building hype ahead of LA28 — with flag billed as an “American sport” with dominance on the world stage, everyone will be tuning in.