Writing for Insider Sport on International Women’s Day, CSE Founder Simon Hainsworth states that football is no longer a man’s game.
He outlines how and why women’s sport is on an upward trajectory, from the success of international women’s football competitions, to the growth of the WNBA. Hainsworth reveals why it is now more lucrative than ever to invest in women’s sport.
For too long, men’s football has dominated our television screens and our news cycles, and we’ve made celebrities of our male rugby, tennis and athletics stars. We’ve prioritised half of the population while largely ignoring the other half.
There have been women who’ve fought to make their mark on the sporting world – the likes of Serena Williams, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Simone Biles have become household names with their hard-won successes. But they’ve been the exception not the rule.
Then along came a team called the Lionesses. Suddenly, people who’d never taken an interest in women’s football before were gripped – and we collectively spent 38.4 million hours watching them in the FIFA Women’s World Cup final in 2023 (Sky Sports).
While the England national team might have become the symbol of the rise in women’s sports, they are certainly not alone, as a quiet revolution of female stars prove ‘girl power’ is very much alive and well in our stadiums, inside our arenas and on our pitches.
Wins for women
Almost 21 million people watched at least three minutes of women’s sports coverage on UK TV in the first four months of 2024, the highest figures ever recorded (Women’s Sport Trust); and almost a third of those individuals were new to women’s sport – perhaps encouraged by the rise in broadcasting on channels like BBC and ITV.
Over in the USA, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) was the fastest growing brand in 2024 (Morning Consult); 2025 sees the introduction of the first ever professional women’s rugby league (Women’s Elite Rugby); and softball, volleyball and lacrosse are all seeing a surge in people signing up to play.
With participation and audience numbers experiencing a sharp rise, the commerciality of women’s sport is also enjoying a boom. Elite women’s sports were projected to generate more than $1bn last year for the first time ever, a 300% increase in five years (Deloitte), and the likes of the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association and Women’s Tennis Association are attracting more sponsorship deals than ever (SponsorUnited).
Representing and presenting
So, we can clearly see that the industry of women’s sport is becoming a force to be reckoned with, to the benefit of all involved.
Representation is the highest it’s ever been: nearly 40% of the commentators at the 2024 Paris Olympics were female (UN) and Sky has made a concerted effort to increase the number of women presenters across boxing, cricket and Formula One broadcasts among others (William Hill News).
Behind the scenes, 41% of International Olympic Committee members are female, a 100% increase over 12 years. Although an average of only 30% of sports federation board members are women, suggesting there is more work to be done to achieve equality (Sports Think Tank).
A growing industry
All of this showcases that there are growing opportunities for all businesses associated with sports and sporting events. As an industry, women’s sports require more support than ever from the logistics firms who help ensure the planning and running of events goes smoothly; from brands who support athletes; from managers, coaches and physios; and from female sporting stars who can use their position to grow the profile of their sport.
Bidding to host key women’s sporting events should become as competitive as their male-focused counterparts, and the experience of athletes, coaching teams and fans at these events needs to be prioritised in order to keep the momentum going.
We must capture the current interest and run with it, ensuring women have as many opportunities as men to play sports at any level, from grass roots to Olympic gold. It is only by building the same infrastructure around the sector as we have with men’s sports that we can truly harness the opportunity that we have to ensure sports is no longer a man’s world, it’s anyone’s game.
