“When it comes to football, women should not be following or copying what men have done.”
Strong words from Michele Kang, Founder and CEO of Kynisca, the first global, female-owned multi-club organisation. “In fact, I think that is the worst thing you can do.”
Kang shared this view at the Kia Oval cricket ground yesterday (29 April), speaking to a room full of sports professionals during the opening panel of SportsPro Live in London.
Titled ‘Women’s Sport 2030: The £1bn Opportunity’, the session also featured Holly Murdoch, Chief Operating Officer at Women’s Professional League Limited (WPLL).
It was fitting form women to lead the first conversation at the event, a reflection of the rapid rise of women’s football and growing momentum around where it is heading next.
In England, the sport has seen a dramatic transformation over the past decade, having only become professional in 2018.
While the progress has been considerable, the handover of the women’s game from the FA to the WPLL last August marked a pivotal shift. As Kang emphasised, this new chapter is driven by a commitment to forging a distinct identity, one that doesn’t replicate the men’s model, but instead, builds something new.
Despite the strides made, Murdoch pointed out that women’s football remains “financially fragile” and still requires significant investment. That said, she emphasised it is very much a growth sport, a view echoed by Kang, who compared its current phase to that of a Silicon Valley startup.
Kang brings a unique perspective as the owner of multiple women’s clubs worldwide, which includes the Washington Spirit, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin and London City Lionesses. Her model, she explained, allows for central investment across all clubs, enabling her to simultaneously support growth at scale.
While she acknowledged the criticism surrounding multi-club ownership in the men’s game, Kang reiterated the model has real potential when applied to women’s football, especially in this growth-focused phase.
Former England international Eniola Aluko also shared her perspective of investing in the women’s game during the event. Aluko recently invested a six-figure sum in Italy’s FC Como Women, she revealed to the audience.
Since taking on this new role, while also leveraging her experience in the US, she has noticed barriers in the UK. “There must be a way to show trajectory,” Aluko stated.
She added there is a lack of publicity on return on investment. Aluko mentioned that by making this more apparent, clubs would attract more attention.
A broader brand appeal
Investment opportunities were another key focus for the panel. As women’s football seeks to grow its commercial partnerships, it is becoming increasingly clear this space looks very different from the men’s game.
Take the Women’s Super League (WSL) as an example; the majority of its supporters are women and families. This distinct demographic opens the door to a broader range of potential partners than those traditionally seen in men’s football.
This point echoes previous comments made by Queenie Porter, Vice President of West Ham’s women’s team. In a conversation with Insider Sport last year, she identified untapped sponsorship categories, such as theme parks, airlines and health-focused brands.
Brands already investing in women’s football are reaping the benefits, not only through exposure but by entering a market poised for exponential growth, and doing so at a time when the cost of entry is still relatively low.
Boosting visibility
There are also undoubtedly more brands observing from the sidelines, hesitant to jump in. One possible reason is limited exposure. However, the WPLL has made significant progress in raising the sport’s visibility.
Last October, it secured a record-breaking five-year extension to the WSL’s domestic broadcast rights, continuing partnerships with BBC Sport and Sky Sports. The deal begins at the start of the 2025/26 season and runs through to the end of the 2029/30 campaign.
A previous agreement with YouTube also helped propel growth, reportedly tripling the league’s viewership.
Despite those successes, stadium attendance should remain a major focus, according to Kang.
“Digital streaming and all that stuff is important, but for me, the fans in the stadium are the foundation,” she said.
Football Benchmark reported, average attendances in UK women’s football during the 2023/24 season was around 7,300.
Drawing on her experience in the US, Kang noted that two to three years ago, average attendances stood at around 2,000. Today, it’s reached 15,000.
This growth, she explained, came from building a compelling environment, sometimes in unexpected ways. For example, introducing initiatives like allowing fans to bring their pets to games.
It might sound far-fetched to UK audiences, but Kang’s success illustrates the value of “understanding your customer base and building different experiences”.
Going our own way
As women’s football continues on its upward trajectory, leaders like Kang and Murdoch are pushing for a future that breaks away from the shadow of the men’s game. This is not out of defiance, but out of opportunity, perhaps a £1bn opportunity.
The sport has its own audience, culture, and needs. With the right investment and understanding of its unique value, women’s football is well-positioned to thrive on its own terms.
“We have an advantage of seeing what worked and what didn’t work [in the men’s game],” Kang concluded. “Let’s take the lessons learnt, but let us find our own business.”
