Investing in women athletes could be a game-changer for brands

The GIST: Unlike the limit, the perfect women’s sports brand marketing strategy does exist — at least according to Parity, who released its latest research report yesterday about the business of women’s sports. Let’s dive into the deets.

The trends: The TL;DR? Women’s sports are thriving, especially in leagues with proven staying power. A whopping 51% of women’s sports fans surveyed identify as WNBA fans while the WTA (20%), NWSL (19%), and LPGA (19%) are the next most popular entities.

• That’s not to say new leagues aren’t making an impact. The PWHL, for example, has strong viewership numbers in the Northeast (10%) and Midwest (11%), and with expansion looming, there’s potential for substantial growth in their newest market out West (2%).

• However, the biggest game-changer for brands is partnering with women athletes. According to Parity, 68% of sports fans trust products promoted by women athletes. And that impact is universal: Even fans who never watch women’s sports are buying in, with 58% reporting that same trust, up 6% YoY.

The specifics: The influence of women athletes isn’t limited to certain brand categories either, though apparel, food and beverage, and health and beauty reigned supreme in both fan awareness and likelihood to purchase. In fact, one in four women’s sports fans said women’s sports sponsorships makes them more likely to buy.

• And that trend is even more pronounced when it comes to Gen Z and millennial consumers — 46% report they’d be more likely to purchase from a brand that sponsors a woman athlete or women’s team. Now that’s good business.

The takeaway: Investing in both women’s sports as a whole and women athletes individually is a proven win for brands, especially as leagues continue to expand their fanbases. But investment itself and ensuring those sponsorships are visible to the general public can require different strategies.

• Fan awareness in categories like apparel is high (63% of women’s sports fans reported being aware of clothing sponsorships), but brands in more niche categories like travel, insurance, and tech don’t necessarily have the same visibility. That means additional partnerships with media companies are integral to maximize ROI. *winks*