Women's sports are on the rise thanks to increased media access and sponsorship opportunities

The GIST: This year has proven that the women’s sports landscape is rapidly shifting, largely thanks to increased media access and sponsorship opportunities. To see how general sports fans feel about the growth of the women’s game, Aggregate Sports recently surveyed 1K adults about how the times are a-changin’. Here’s the TL;DR on the findings.

💸 77%: The percentage of respondents who believe brands should sponsor women’s sports, with 62% stating they feel better about such companies. Being an Ally is easy, and in 2023, it’s only gotten easier thanks to the Women’s Sports Club.

🏅58%: How many respondents believe women’s Olympic sports are more prestigious than women’s professional sports, and that brands should sponsor them more. This tracks with 2022 research indicating that the Olympics are globally considered to be the most appealing sports and entertainment event. Something to chew on.

⚖️ 74%: The percentage of those surveyed who believe brands should sponsor men’s and women’s sports equally, which echoes recent moves to equalize prize pools and increase media rights values.

📈 71%: The proportion of respondents who believe women’s sports will increase in popularity in the coming years. And they will — Gen Z is already making sure of that.

Zooming out: Increased women’s sports exposure has been proven to combat prejudice, but there’s still room for growth. That’s where sponsors come in: Women’s sports fans are more likely to spend on tickets and streaming, and engage with supportive brands — Rolex, for example, reported 9x higher engagement from women’s sports fans. The clock is ticking.