Louise Gwilliam, Director of Talent at Crowd Network, explores the growing popularity of women's sport and the strategic and commercial opportunities that businesses should take advantage of through podcasting.
Women's sports are more popular than ever. We're seeing record levels of engagement. As well as fans attending matches, engagement extends to the media supporters consume. Just five men's Premier League clubs had more views on TikTok than Chelsea Women in September, according to Women's Sport Trust's latest visibility report. And the most-watched Team GB athlete on TikTok at the 2024 Paris Olympics was women's 400m hurdler Lina Nielsen.
Nevertheless, the revenue potential of the market remains untapped. Unfortunately, the number of brands that fully support women's sports is unfortunately small. Not only are brands missing out on promoting gender equality in sports, they are also ignoring the thousands of passionate fans who consume audio and video content on the subject. These audiences exist, but there is a gap in the market for wraparound content that they can engage with.
And these viewers continue to grow. Increased media coverage over the past decade has placed women's sports firmly in the spotlight. The 2023 Women's World Cup final will have a peak audience of approximately 14.8 million viewers in the UK alone, with the total global tournament audience exceeding 2 billion, a significant increase from 1.12 billion for the 2019 tournament. increased.
However, it is not only women's soccer that is receiving increasing coverage and attention. The WNBA, the most famous women's basketball league in the United States, has seen record ticket sales and increased attendance and viewership each season, with the arrival of new stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. and is making a profit.
In women's cricket, The Hundred attracted record attendances and viewers last season, selling 580,000 tickets. The 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup also saw record demand, with more than 55,000 tickets sold (advance only) for the opening match and final. And the growth of women's sports was highlighted at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the first Games to achieve gender parity among competitive athletes. We are finally starting to give women's sports the attention they deserve.
Revenue also increased due to the increase in viewership. Women’s sport is predicted to generate more than £764.5 million in revenue in 2024, an increase of more than 300% on its 2021 valuation. And with revenue from women's sport predicted to reach £1 billion by 2030, this incredible economic growth is set to continue. Despite this prosperity, women's sports remains a relatively untapped market, and brands lack the knack when it comes to capitalizing on opportunities in the industry.
And it's not just the on-field activities that offer exciting economic prospects. Partnering with the athletes themselves is another lucrative investment avenue. 80% of Brits see female athletes as positive role models for girls, and 60% feel they empathize with female athletes. When you consider these statistics, it's easy to see why there is a growing movement towards hiring female athletes as brand representatives. Because female athletes offer an authentic and engaging way to reach fans.
The tide is starting to turn, as more and more brands realize that engaging with female athletes and sports teams is not just the right thing to do, but a profitable strategic decision. Sponsorship of players, teams, and leagues in women's professional sports increased by 22% from 2023 to 2024.
The most significant sponsorship increases were in women's golf and tennis, with deals also confirmed in women's basketball and soccer. There are clear trends across the market that are not specific to any particular game. Women's sports as a whole are growing and attracting an engaged and engaged audience that companies can access.
The success of women's sports and the popularity of female athletes presents a unique opportunity for companies to usher in change. They can use the opportunities provided by the women's sports industry as a springboard to reach new audiences, forge partnerships with inspiring athletes, and build brand loyalty. But while some companies, such as Visa and Unilever, have recognized this potential by working with female athletes and teams, women's sports receive just 1% of sponsorship fees. It is clear that there are still many opportunities for businesses to take advantage of.
Podcasts can fill this gap. These are more than just audio files. It forms the core of the entire content machine and sits at the heart of your marketing strategy. Episodes can be released on both audio and video platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, providing countless opportunities for brands to reach large audiences with a single podcast episode.
Chelsea FC Women's podcast 'We are Chelsea' highlights this possibility. The team wanted to bring their fan base closer to the players than ever before. The players' candid empathy came to life through the intimate nature of podcasting. By creating engaging audio and visual podcasts and uploading them in full or as clips across the channel, the team has created several content formats that use podcasting as their origin. This is a natural fit into your overall content strategy.
Two weeks after the podcast's official launch, full episodes and clips have garnered more than 1 million views across Chelsea's digital channels. This success expanded exponentially, with Chelsea's TikToks reaching 50 million views in the summer of 2024. That's more than any other women's sports team in the world. The We Are Chelsea podcast is a perfect example of seamlessly integrating audio and video to give your followers a multi-dimensional content experience.
It's also a big win for podcast sponsor Skoda. In addition to the audio and video ads in every episode, the Skoda logo will appear on the player's microphone cover. This clever way to showcase your brand across all your social assets and YouTube videos highlights the creative opportunities that podcasting can offer your brand.
Podcasting allows brands and athletes to challenge the status quo in audio, video, and more. Brands can pave the way to engage their communities in new and creative ways that provide stronger, longer, and more emotional connections.
The creative opportunities are endless. We have athletes and content creators who are primed and ready to go. We know that female sports fans, and female athletes themselves, have been undervalued and underserved for far too long.
Podcasting can provide a comprehensive content strategy. This allows brands to effectively capitalize on the lucrative market of women's sports while providing consumers with authentic content from the athletes and teams they love. It's a win-win for everyone.
There are still many opportunities for companies to explore. We need braver, more disruptive brands to realize this potential and further grow women's sports.
Louise Gwilliam is Cloud Network's Talent Director, responsible for recruiting and developing talent both on-air and off-air, while also producing the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast.
