The Women’s Super League (WSL) continues to go from strength to strength as Deloitte revealed that all 12 teams have surpassed revenue of more than £1m for the 2023/24 season.
Issuing the Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance on June 9, all WSL clubs generated at least £1m in revenue last year for the first time ever, backed by increases in commercial and matchday revenues.
The average commercial revenue of WSL clubs increased by 53%, but it is matchday revenue that rose the most by 73%, indicating a surge of interest in attending WSL fixtures throughout the 2023/24 season.
With more clubs, such as Arsenal Women’s, competing in a handful of fixtures at their male counterparts’ stadiums, the WSL is attracting higher average attendances than ever before, indicative of the increase in matchday revenue.
Average matchday revenue across clubs in the WSL was £12m, up from £7m in 2022/23. Deloitte highlighted this was due to an increase of 31% in average attendances across England, as well as teams recognising the value in fan engagement in-and-out of stadiums.
Arsenal Women’s demonstrated this during its six matches that were played at the Emirates Stadium. The club found spending across restaurants and local bars increased by 15% and 16% respectively for notable games against Manchester United and local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Local spending increases may be a result of the demographics in attendance at WSL games. Women, younger children and families typically attend WSL matches the most, resulting in an uplift in sales of food and beverages.
Commercial growth
As the WSL continues on its new growth phase, brands and companies have also taken an interest in partnering with clubs.
WSL club aggregate revenues grew by 34% to £65m, an increase of £48m from the 2022/23 season, with commercial revenue being a significant driver of revenue for clubs making up 40% of WSL clubs’ total revenue.
Revenue growth across the league was largely driven by the top four revenue-generating clubs: Arsenal (£15.3m), Chelsea (£11.5m), Manchester United (£9.2m), and Manchester City (£6.6m). These clubs generated two-thirds of the total revenue of all 12 WSL clubs.
Manchester City Women’s have recognised the market to bring onboard modern companies to engage its fanbase across Manchester.
The club, although agreed at the start of 2025, partnered with Revolut as the UK digital bank became the kit sponsor for Manchester City Women’s. Arsenal have also partnered with the likes of Mastercard, while Chelsea analysed the family-friendly crowds that attend WSL games with the sponsorship of Skoda.
Deloitte predicts WSL clubs’ total revenue will reach £100m in the 2025/26 season, boosted by predicted new growth support following the upcoming 2025 UEFA Women’s EUROs this summer.
Jennifer Haskel, Knowledge and Insights Lead at Deloitte Sports Business Group, said: “Through developing more robust fan engagement strategies, strong commercial deals and securing central distributions, WSL clubs unlocked a new phase of growth in the 2023/24 season. Plus, as the reporting and attribution of commercial revenue remains inconsistent between clubs, we may be scratching the surface on the value now being generated by the women’s game.
“The high-profile investment and innovative brand partnerships announced in recent months demonstrate the value gained when women’s teams are treated as distinct entities with a focus on driving specific initiatives tailored to the fans and commercial partners alike. This mindset must be maintained for the future growth of the women’s game, or we risk missing a generational opportunity in this sport.”
