UK research shows widespread brand interest and success in women’s sports sponsorship

The GIST: Last week, UK–based charity Women’s Sports Trust (WST) found at least 80% of UK brands involved in sports sponsorship are likely to continue investing in the women’s game in the next three years, among other key findings. To collect data, WST spoke to 49 brand decision-makers about their sponsorship plans, with 69% being existing women’s sports partners. Let’s dive in.

♥️ Those who are in the game want to stay in. Among brands that already sponsor women’s sports, 85% were likely to continue investing in the women’s game. Additionally, 51% of all companies expressed intentions to work with individual women athletes, who have proven to drive engagement and brand favorability at increased rates.

⚽ Women’s soccer is a major draw. The sport — which has financially flourished this year thanks to the establishment of NewCo — appealed to 55% of surveyed brands. Expanded media rights and access, plus stadium flexing, have catapulted women’s footy into the spotlight, where it’s quickly become the UK’s fifth most-attended sport.

💰 Media rights are key. Brands are tuned into one of the biggest predictors of women’s sports growth: accessibility. At least 45% of those surveyed believed working with budding media rights holders as a “distinct benefit in sponsoring women’s sport,” something NWSL partners could speak to after a historic deal preceded its most-watched championship ever. Getting in on the ground floor.

💼 However, companies still face challenges when making the business case for women’s sports. Despite their interest in sponsoring the game, 31% said evaluating ROI for a property was the most challenging part of sealing a deal and 21% noted that communicating sponsorship value to stakeholders was the second biggest challenge.

• But the companies that did listen were rewarded. Eight-six percent said their women’s sports sponsorships either met or exceeded ROI projections and 32% said women’s sports activations reported better than expected on KPIs. More than you bargained for.