Unilever USA triples sports marketing commitments since 2020; company cites growing live sports viewership and opportunity for meaningful consumer connections

FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS Leveling the Playing Field at a glance Are fans finally ready to embrace women’s sports? THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS In September 2022, Serena Williams It’s not clear, however, what this stepped onto the court at the US Open increased attention means for 1 Fans are paying more attention to women’s sports than they used for the last time, bringing to a close women’s sports. Are we at a turning to. Almost a third are watching more games than they once did, one of the most remarkable careers point? The moment when funding, and as a result the broadcast in modern sporting history. viewership, and fan interest starts rights market for women’s sports to rise to the level of men’s sports? has enjoyed double-digit growth In many ways, that moment felt like a Or are the structural inequalities in most territories. punctuation mark on an era in which too great to overcome? women’s sports were finally starting 2 Despite this momentum, there’s still a huge discrepancy in how to get the attention they deserved. This report sets out to answer these fans approach men’s and women’s Stars like Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, questions by examining what fans sports. Fans tend to see men’s and Megan Rapinoe have all been the really think about women’s sports– events as more exciting and more subject of intense media coverage over and what that means for their competitive, and are willing to spend considerably more money on the past few years. And it’s impossible long-term growth potential. watching men’s games and buying to be a sports fan on social media merchandise from men’s teams. these days without seeing athletes and commentators talking about the 3 Women’s events can find an issues affecting women in sports. audience–when they’re given comparable airtime, funding, and media attention. This wave of momentum could result in a true breakthrough for women’s sports into the mainstream, but only if broadcasters, sponsors, and policy-makers are prepared to make the necessary investment. 2 FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS Leveling the Playing Field So far, 2022 has been a year of growing momentum around women’s sports Back in June, Sports Business Journal Q: How has the amount of women’s declared that women’s sports were “the sports you watched changed… story” of 20221–and there’s a great deal of evidence to suggest that this has I WATCH MORE THAN I USED TO indeed been a pivotal year for women’s I WATCH THE SAME AMOUNT sports, both in the US and elsewhere. I WATCH LESS THAN I USED TO Across the globe, fans and industry insiders alike have been paying more attention to women’s leagues and the successes of top-flight female athletes. ER THE PAST 5 YEA O V In the US, 3 out of 10 sports fans say that 13% they’re watching more women’s sports 30% now than they were 5 years ago–more than twice the number who say they’re watching less. And almost as many (25%) 57% say that their viewership of women’s So, what’s changed? competitions has increased in the past According to fans, it isn’t year. All of this suggests that women’s their own tastes that have evolved; sports, while they remain a minority it’s the landscape of sports and sports interest among fans, has been carving broadcasting itself. Among viewers out an increasingly large niche for who are watching more women’s sports themselves among audiences. Moreover, than they used to, the most common a sizeable portion of that growth has ER THE PAS .. O V T YE explanation they cited for this trend occurred just in the last 12 months. A 12% was that it’s simply easier now to find 25% games broadcast on TV. It’s younger generations whose appetite for women’s sports content appears to Broadcasters are carrying more be increasing the fastest–which certainly women’s games than they used to–and bodes well for long-term growth. 39% of 63% events that were already being aired are Gen Z sports fans say they’re watching now being promoted more heavily and more women’s sports now than they moved to better time-slots. This year, were a year ago, compared to 29% for example, will mark the first time that of Millennials, 23% of Gen X, and 19% the championship game of the National of Baby Boomers. Black fans are also Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has among the most likely to be paying more been broadcast in a primetime slot attention to women’s sports; 40% are on a national network2. The NWSL has watching more now than they were also partnered with Twitch to make the 12 months ago. game available outside the US; a clear sign of the role that new media partners Women’s sports are can play in helping to expand the Q: Why do you watch becoming more entertaining audience for key women’s events. more women’s sports now or competitive 38% than you used to? There are more There is more press women’s sports and attention around being broadcast women’s sports than I have learned there used to be 32% Women’s sports 41% more about a are being talked specific female about more on athlete(s) 37% social media 25% 1. Abraham Madkour, “Women’s sports is the story in 2022–and here’s why”, Sports Business Journal, June 6, 2022 2. E d Dixon, “NWSL championship game lands CBS primetime slot thanks to Ally outlay”, SportsPro Media, August 24, 2022 . ... RS R 3 FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS Leveling the Playing Field This was also the year in which GROWTH IN VALUE FOR WOMEN’S SPORTS BROADCAST RIGHTS4 ESPN–for the first time since 2016– moved the NCAA women’s basketball 2021 2022 championship back to primetime3. Scheduling changes like this can have a dramatic impact on fan behavior– $36.9M $47.7M especially since fewer than half (47%) of viewers who regularly watch women’s sports say they typically discover games to watch by actively $15.2M $36.4M researching them in advance. By contrast, 27% of fans say they find most of their games by channel-surfing, $16.6M $35.0M while 22% tune in because of buzz from their friends or on social media. By scheduling games in better time slots, $10.6M $23.0M and investing more in their promotion, broadcasters can create more opportunities for viewers to stumble upon games they wouldn't otherwise $9.3M $9.2M have come across, potentially planting the seeds of long-term fandom. $2.7M $14.4M US sports fans who have seen media coverage of major stories about $3.4M $4.2M women’s sports The increased prominence of women’s Serena Williams retiring sports on TV and streaming schedules has also had a significant impact from tennis 68% on the value of broadcast rights for women’s games. Nowhere was this Brittne change more dramatic than in Spain, y Griner facing 9 years where the size of the media market in Russian prison 66% for women’s sports increased by more than fivefold–due, in large part, to a Sexual assault scandal by landmark deal to bring Liga F games to USA Gymnastics doctor streaming service DAZN5. Larry Nassar 57% US Women's National Soccer Team fight for equal pay Globally, some of the year-on-year 39% growth in the broadcast market for women’s sports can be attributed to the number of high-profile international tournaments that took Naomi Osaka taking time off from Differences in place in 2022–including the UEFA a n am tennis for mental health reasons 38% d w en o i m tie e s n f 's o r te m a en's European Women’s Championship N m C s A d A u T r o in u g rn th am e ent and the ICC Women’s Cricket World 18% Cup. But even in the US, which didn’t compete in these tournaments, the England wins broadcast market for women’s events UEFA Euro W pe o a m n e n's Soccer Champ still grew by 29% compared to 2021. ionship 8% Broadcasters are willing to pay more for the rights to women’s games than they once were, and that means more money flowing into women’s leagues 3. P aulsen, “Women’s tourney gets primetime finale thanks to MLB lockout”, Sports Media Watch, March 2022 and being invested into the growth of 4. E xcludes broadcast packages where men’s and women’s events are these sports. broadcast together, such as major Tennis tournaments and the Olympics 5. Rory Jones, “Spanish women’s Primera División soccer rights snapped up by DAZN in ‘€35m’ global deal”, SportsPro Media, September 6, 2022 4 FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS Leveling the Playing Field While broadcasters have undoubtedly played a major role in the growing THE TOP 20 MOST RECOGNIZABLE WOMEN IN SPORTS interest around women’s sports, so too have individual athletes and the media Q: Who’s the first person that comes to storylines surrounding them. Over the mind when you think about female athletes? past few years in the US in particular, TENNIS BASKETBALL SOCCER OTHER the sports press has started to shine an increasing spotlight on issues of abuse, discrimination, and inequality within professional women’s sports–and the majority of sports fans have seen at least some of this coverage. 1. Serena Williams 2. Venus Williams 3. Brittney Griner 4. Mia Hamm 5. Ronda Rousey But when it comes to individuals who’ve helped to popularize women’s sports in the US, no one in recent years has done as much as Serena Williams. She isn’t just the highest paid female athlete of all time; for 46% of American sports fans, she’s the first person they think 6. Sue Bird 7. Simone Biles 8. Candace Parker 9. Megan Rapinoe 10. Billie Jean King of when it comes to women in sports. (Her sister, Venus, comes in second at just over 7%). 11. Lisa Leslie 12. Danica Patrick 13. Alex Morgan 14. Lindsey Vonn 15. Hope Solo 16. Chris Evert 17. Diana Taurasi 18. Maria Sharapova 19. Martina Navratilova 20. Laila Ali The Williams sisters are far from the only athletes to have had an impact on public 40% of US sports fans perceptions of women’s sports. In the list have watched at least one of most recognizable female athletes in the US, over half are athletes who either film or TV show about women’s sports, while have recently retired or have been inactive 26% have seen a for many years–a fact which speaks to the extraordinary level of achievement documentary or behind- the-scenes feature required to break into the consciousness of fans as a woman in sports. on the topic. Q: What’s the most recent film or TV show Notably, 15 of the 20 most recognizable about women’s sports that you’ve watched? female athletes in the US come from just three sports: tennis, soccer and basketball. This trio could be considered the “Big Three” of professional women’s sports in the country–the equivalent of the traditional men’s “Big Four” of football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. The growing public interest in women’s sports has also resulted in a small boom 16 2 3 4 5 of film and TV content on the subject– from Oscar winners like King Richard and I, Tonya to streaming favorites such as GLOW. It seems that media companies are increasingly coming to appreciate the immense storytelling potential within the world of women's sports—providing yet more ways for fans to discover new 6 7 8 9 10 athletes and leagues to follow. 6. Includes both the 1992 film and the 2022 Amazon Prime Video adaptation 5 FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS Leveling the Playing Field But despite the momentum, awareness and viewership INTEREST IN WOMEN’S SPORT BY MARKET of women’s sports still lag behind men’s events % OF SPORTS FANS WILLING TO PAY TO WATCH WOMEN’S SPORT % OF SPORTS FANS INTERESTED IN WOMEN'S SPORT While interest in women’s sports may U.K. 10% 35% be growing, it’s important to put that growth in context. Women’s leagues Australia 10% have a long way to go before they 32% approach anything even close to parity with their male counterparts in terms of Spain 5% audience numbers. 26% In the US, for example, the average France 5% 25% sports fan estimates that just 15.4% of their time watching sports on TV Italy 6% is spent watching women’s events. 24% And in a given season, a typical fan is substantially more likely to catch a game U.S. 9% from one of the so-called “Big Four” 21% men’s leagues than they are from any of the country’s major women’s leagues. Germany 3% 20% Fans aren’t just watching less women’s % of US sports fans 89% sports; they’re also less willing to pay who watch at least for the experience. Only 2 in 10 US one game per month consumers who consider themselves during seasons sports fans actively follow any women’s MEN’S LEAGUE leagues; and just 9% are open to the idea 69% WOMEN’S LEAGUE of spending money to watch women’s games. For context, that compares to 66% who are willing to spend money on 43% watching men’s games. 59% This hesitancy to spend money on women’s sports also extends to merchandise and memorabilia. There simply is no women’s equivalent to the high-end market that exists for men’s sporting memorabilia; and the average 24% 27% fan is willing to spend almost twice as much on merchandise branded with the logo of a men’s team compared to The maximum that the an equivalent piece of merch from a 21% average US sports fan women’s team. In fact, more than 4 in 19% would be willing to spend 10 sports fans say they would never 19% on a branded piece consider buying a piece of women’s of merchandise sports merchandise–regardless of price. 12% 11% 7% $56.67 $28.40 MEN’S SPORTS WOMEN’S SPORTS 6 FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS Leveling the Playing Field Underlying this difference in viewing and spending behavior is a wide THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN’S AND WOMEN’S perceptual gap in how the average SPORTS–ACCORDING TO US SPORTS FANS consumer thinks about men’s and women’s sports. Sports fans tend to WOMEN’S “THIS IS THE SAME IN BOTH” MEN’S report that they see men’s sports as There's more publicity more exciting; they think the coverage around it 8% 19% 73% and promotion of men’s games is There's better behind- better; and they think the quality of the-scenes content 12% 30% 58% competition is higher in men’s leagues. The coverage is higher quality 8% 40% 52% Many of these perceptions, it could be argued, are a product of the ways The games are more exciting 12% 39% 49% in which women’s and men’s events are presented and framed. Part of the There's a stronger sense of culture and community 14% 39% 47% reason that fans see men’s games as more exciting is that broadcasters go The standard of competition is higher 12% 45% 43% out of their way to make them more exciting. Even though networks have There are more commercials and ads 9% 56% 35% started to air more major women’s games during primetime, these The atmosphere is more 24% 62% 14% broadcasts rarely get the kind of family-friendly extensive pregame shows or post- game breakdowns that are commonplace in men’s sports. And there hasn’t been the same kind While men’s sports are seen as more of investment in building narratives exciting and more competitive, and branding around women’s leagues. women’s sports are generally seen Up until this year, for example, the by fans as less commercialized and NCAA didn’t even allow the women’s as having a more family-friendly basketball championship to use the atmosphere. It’s possible, therefore, iconic “March Madness” name7. This that growing public interest in women’s all acts as something of a self-fulfilling sports could lead to an expansion of prophecy: because networks invest the overall demographic of sports fans, more in promoting men’s games, as it opens a doorway to fandom for there’s more fan excitement around consumers who may previously have these events. And because fans are been put off by the perceived culture more excited, broadcasters are willing around men’s sports. to invest more to take advantage of that hype. WOMEN’S SPORTS: A SAFE BET? More men’s games are available In the US, one of the biggest recent shifts This discrepancy is rooted in an information on TV 35% in the world of sports fandom has been the deficit; gamblers don’t feel like they know rapid growth of sports gambling, following enough about women’s sports to make a landmark Supreme Court decision in 2018 informed bets, and they find it harder to More men’s that allowed states to begin legalizing find markets for women’s events. It’s easier to sports are and regulating the practice. find data on available to men’s sports Q: Why are you 30% bet on 35% Among fans who regularly bet on sports, more likely to bet fewer than half (44%) have ever bet on on men’s sports than I know more a women’s event. And 69% of regular women’s sports? about men’s My friends are gamblers say they prefer to bet on men’s sports 46% more likely to I’m not interested in events–compared to only 4% who are more bet on men’s women’s sports 27% sports 23% interested in betting on women’s sports. 7. Tristan Balagtas, “NCAA Will Allow Women’s Basketball to Use the Term ‘March Madness’ in 2022”, People, September 29, 2021 7 FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS Leveling the Playing Field Events like the Olympics prove that fans are willing to engage with women’s sports under the right circumstances The gulf between viewership for men’s and women’s sports may feel like an intractable problem. But we know it isn’t, because there is a context in which fans are willing to engage with the two on a comparable level: the Olympics. In many of the most popular sports at the most recent Summer and Winter Olympics, US sports fans were actually more likely to have seen coverage of the women’s events than the men’s. Of the 10 most widely viewed sports at the Notably, the intense games, the viewership for women’s media coverage of Simone events was higher than the men’s in Biles and her teammates half of them. was one of the biggest drivers for fans to tune in to the Olympics. In the US, gymnastics turned out to be HOW AMERICAN SPORTS FANS WATCHED THE the single most watched sport 10 MOST POPULAR OLYMPIC SPORTS at the Tokyo games; 37% of sports fans saw coverage of the sport. And of these viewers, 98% tuned in to at least some WATCHED WOMEN'S EVENTS WATCHED BOTH WATCHED MEN'S EVENTS coverage of the women’s events, while Most popular Gymnastics 39% 59% only 61% saw any of the men’s events. 2% Swimming 5% 88% 7% Over a third (36%) of US sports fans say that they pay more attention to women’s sports during the Olympics Figure skating 20% 78% 2% than they usually do. For female athletes, the Olympics and Paralympics Snowboarding 5% 78% 17% provide unparalleled opportunities for brand-building and media exposure; Athletics (track and field) 4% 92% 4% it’s one of the only times in the sporting calendar in which male and female Speed skating 7% 80% 13% events are presented side-by-side and given comparable levels of airtime and Ski jumping 4% 78% 18% media attention. NBC, for example, devoted 58% of its Tokyo programming to women’s events8 Beach volleyball . 44% 54% 2% The high levels of engagement with Basketball 4% 56% 39% women’s sports during the Olympics demonstrates that the attention gap Least Volleyball 33% 64% isn’t a problem without a solution. Fans popular 3% can become as emotionally invested Based on fans who watched at least one event in each category during either the 2020 Summer Olympics or the 2022 Winter Olympics in women’s sports as they are in men’s sports–provided that the two get to compete on a level playing field. 8. Stephanie Liu, “Women set new viewership record at Tokyo Olympics”, Yahoo! Sports, August 11, 2021 8 FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS Leveling the Playing Field We know women’s sports can find an audience. So, what’s holding them back? It’s an unfortunate truth that women’s We can point to three sports have to contend with a long major hurdles limiting legacy of systemic bias. Fortunately, the continued growth openly prejudiced views are now in the minority among fans. Only 34% of women’s sports: of US sports fans believe that men are Inertia naturally better at sports than women, Fans have much more while just 19% think that top male deeply-rooted ties to men’s athletes deserve to be paid more teams and male athletes. than their female counterparts. In fact, most fans like to think of Investment themselves as active supporters Women’s sports don’t of women in sports. Eighty-five receive the same level percent–including 79% of men–think of commercial support. that it’s important for women’s sports to continue to grow in popularity; 63% would like to see more female referees in the sports they follow, Fans have only a finite amount of time and 64% think there should be more they can devote to watching games high-level female coaches. and following sports. And for many of them, the teams While it’s possible that some fans and leagues they choose to may be overstating the extent of their follow will be driven as much feminist beliefs, the fact that they would by inertia and nostalgia feel pressured to do so is itself a small as by any more tangible victory for women’s sports; it suggests Inaccessibility factors. Half of sports fans that the culture of sports fandom is more Fans with an interest in say that they watch more broadly progressive and inclusive than it women’s sports are often men’s sports than women’s once was. unable to watch all the simply because those are the games they’d like to see. sports they’ve been following But regardless of the personal views of since childhood. fans, longstanding systemic bias against women’s sports–in terms of funding, Understandably, people have an coverage, and publicity–has led to emotional attachment to the teams and deeply ingrained structural challenges players they grew up with. So, it’s crucial that limit the ability for women’s sports for younger fans to be exposed to to find an audience. women’s sports, if they are to continue growing in mainstream popularity. Q: Why do you watch more men’s sports than women’s sports? ALL SPORTS FANS FEMALE FANS MALE FANS 50% 42% 40% 33% 31% 53% / 46% 30% 42% / 41% 35% / 46% / 24% 28% / 39% 21% / 41% 24% 29% / 31% 26% / 22% 26% / 21% I grew up There are I think men’s I think men’s I think the The fanbase There are specific Men’s sports watching specific men’s sports are sports are more standard of play is larger for male athletes I are broadcast men’s sports teams I enjoy more competitive is higher in men’s sports enjoy following at times that following entertaining men’s sports work better for me 9 FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS Leveling the Playing Field At the same time, the continued growth PAY DISCREPANCIES IN SPORTS: PERCEPTIONS VS. REALITY10 of women’s sports will also require much greater levels of commercial investment What percentage of from sponsors, colleges, broadcasters, men’s salaries fans And what they think women earn… actually earn… and other key stakeholders. In the US, 74% of sports fans are unable to name a single corporate sponsor of any of the country’s major women’s 1% leagues. And 60% believe that brands BASKETBALL11 37% should be spending more money on women’s events. This funding deficit means that, after accounting for sponsorship 8% opportunities, female athletes typically make only a small fraction of the SOCCER 43% salaries of their male counterparts. This in turn means that there’s less incentive for talented female athletes to pursue a professional career, reducing the overall standard of competition and making games less exciting than they otherwise could be. TENNIS 58% 84% 68% of US sports fans believe that pay discrepancies between male and female athletes are a problem for the sports community. But while fans are aware of the issue, they tend to severely But there’s another reason that underestimate the scale of it. Basketball growing public interest in women’s viewers, for example, assume that sports has yet to translate into a true WNBA players make just over a third breakthrough moment. Many of the of the salaries available in the NBA. In fans who would like to watch more reality, NBA stars earn over 100 times women’s games find themselves more than their female counterparts unable to do so because of the limited (which is the primary reason so many variety in broadcast schedules and the WNBA players compete in overseas lack of adequate promotion for those leagues during the off-season9). events. In total, 60% of US fans with an interest in women’s sports say that they are either “often” or “sometimes” unable to watch the women’s sports Q: Why are you sometimes unable content they’d like to see. to view all the women’s sports content you would like to watch? Women’s Not enough games games are air during broadcast 42% inconvenient Women’s sports content isn’t times 31% promoted and advertised as heavily as men’s content 54% Broadcasters make it hard to It’s hard to navigate all find schedules the different channels and and air times for streaming services that carry games 34% 9. “Why WNBA players go overseas to play during off-season”, women’s games SportsNet, March 6, 2022 38% 10. Pay gap data based on research by Adelphi University 11. Includes only fans who follow each of these sports 10 FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS Leveling the Playing Field This paucity of viewing options is a consequence of just how little TV channels and streaming services have invested in broadcast rights for women’s events. In the UK and mainland Europe, women’s sports make up only about 1% of the total market for broadcasting rights–despite the rapid rate of year-on- year growth in the value of those rights. In the US, the disparity is even bigger, with broadcasters spending just 0.2% of their rights budgets on women’s competitions. Yes, there have been some positive developments over the last 12 months, While one would expect the rights with more channels starting to schedule for men’s events to be more valuable, Total amount of national broadcast women’s games in primetime slots and given the larger potential audience and cable TV hours dedicated to spending more money to advertise for these broadcasts, the difference in live women’s sport in the US12 those games–but even so, it’s clear that value is grossly disproportionate to the the size of the audience for women’s difference in potential viewership. And 2021 2022 sports is being limited by the viewing because broadcasters are spending less (Full year) (Q1–3) options currently available. money on rights for women’s sports, they don’t have the same incentives Organizations such as FIFA have argued ALL to promote those events and schedule HOURS 77:00 141:00 that this is symptomatic of a widespread them in high-value timeslots. In the US, undervaluing of women’s sports rights13; for example, there were only 2 hours but rectifying that problem is not of primetime broadcast and cable PRIMETIME HOURS 2:00 15:00 something that broadcasters on their television dedicated to live women’s own can solve. Leagues and teams events across the entirety of 2021. will need to work with them to ensure not only that rights are being valued fairly, but also that contracts are set-up to encourage–and reward–long-term investment in audience growth. VALUE OF SPORTS BROADCAST RIGHTS BY MARKET14 WOMEN’S EVENTS MIXED GENDER MEN’S EVENTS 0.2% 0.8% 1% 0.5% 13% 5% 14% 12% 86% 94% 85% UK Germany Italy 88% 1.4% 0.7% 4% 0.3% US 10% 21% 12. Excludes broadcasts on streaming platforms and mixed-gender broadcast packages 89% 95% 79% 13. Seth Vetelney, “FIFA says broadcasters are making lowball bids for the Women’s World Cup”, Pro Soccer Wire, October 20, 2022 France Spain Australia 14. Mixed gender events include all events where men’s and women’s games are part of the same broadcast package–e.g. Tennis majors or the Olympics 11 FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS Leveling the Playing Field While these challenges are substantial, there’s never been a better time to tackle them There are certainly some deep-rooted How US sports fans feel about potential public issues holding back the growth of policy changes related to women’s sports women’s sports. Fortunately, this current OPPOSE NEUTRAL / DON’T KNOW SUPPORT wave of media attention and fan interest A law mandating that colleges has created a unique opportunity to give out an equal amount of tackle these issues head-on. athletic scholarships to male and female athletes 12% 25% 63% The growing value of broadcast rights for women’s events suggests that Increased federal funding for the market has already started to girls' sports in schools 11% 26% 63% correct for the historic undervaluing of women’s sports. The acceleration of this More accountability for correction, however, may require the athletic departments that government to step in. Indeed, sports run afoul of Title IX 8% 38% 54% fans are broadly supportive of proposed public policy initiatives that would help A law mandating that leagues expand audiences for and participation publish gender pay gap data for in women’s sports. In particular, they coaching staff 16% 33% 51% believe that the federal government should work to grow the earlier stages A law to hold the NCAA of the funnel for professional female accountable to Title IX 9% 40% 51% athletes–allocating more funding to girls' sports in schools and forcing colleges A law mandating that TV channels to increase the number of athletic broadcast equal amounts of men’s scholarships they give out to women. and women’s games 26% 32% 42% A law to protect transgender students participating in women’s sports 32% 36% Who do fans think should be doing more to help Understandably, parents of young grow the popularity of women’s sports in the US? girls are particularly keen to see the government invest more in this space: 70% think that girls’ sports in schools Sports leagues 61% should be better funded. This is a clear example of the way in which Sports teams 52% fans’ relationship to women’s sports can evolve as their life circumstances TV channels 45% change. Almost 4 in 10 parents of young girls (38%) say that they have started Individual athletes 40% to follow professional women’s sports more closely since having children. The press 40% But while fans may be broadly Streaming services 37% supportive of these potential policy changes, they don’t believe that it’s Fans / viewers 32% primarily the government’s responsibility to grow the audience for women’s Social media platforms 27% sports. In fact, they see politicians as, overall, some of the least important actors. Instead, they think it should The government 10% be leagues, teams, and broadcasters leading the charge. 12 FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS Leveling the Playing Field So, how can these groups go about making the commercial more opportunities for younger fans–many of whom are investment in women’s sports that would be required to place cord-cutters or cord-nevers who have given up cable for them on a more equal footing with men’s events, without streaming services–to watch women’s games. putting their bottom line at risk? Historically, leagues have often cited free-to-view broadcasts While women’s sports remains a niche interest among fans, as an essential part of driving growth; but with streaming broadcasters will likely have the most success at platforms now having near universal coverage among finding an audience for their games if they target younger viewers, they may start to take over this their offerings towards the demographics role (albeit at the cost of potentially making it already predisposed to take an interest harder for older non-streamers to find games). in women’s sports. Among these “early 57% of sports fans expect that the growth of sports adopters,” three groups in particular stand At the same time, the Name, Image and packages on streaming out: younger fans with progressive social Likeness (NIL) policy rolled out in 2021 by the values; parents looking for family-friendly platforms will help expand the total audience NCAA has turned the world of college athletics sports to watch with their children; and on its head. For the first time, players have for women’s sports. highly invested “superfans” who follow a the opportunity to monetize their personal large number of different teams in both men’s brands through sponsorships, licensing, and and women’s leagues. merchandise deals. And there’s already evidence to suggest that this change has had a positive Fortunately, there are a number of major cultural and impact on female athletes in particular. Women’s policy shifts underway within the sporting community that basketball, softball, and volleyball are all among the sports may make it easier for consumers in these demographics where athletes have had the most success at striking to find women’s sports content. For example, streaming NIL deals with sponsors–which may, in the long-run, help to providers like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+ have make up for the historic underinvestment in women’s sports been bidding for and winning the rights to air major at the collegiate level16. And for superfans, these new rules sporting events; they’re now competing directly against mean it’s now easier than ever for them to support their favorite the cable channels that have been the traditional home athletes by buying merch and memorabilia. of these broadcasts15. In the long-run, this could create CONSUMER SEGMENTS WITH THE MOST APPETITE FOR WOMEN’S SPORTS THE YOUNG PROGRESSIVE THE FAMILY VIEWER THE SUPERFAN Liberal Millennial or In their 30s or 40s with a Deeply invested fan who Gen Z, likely living in young family. Looking to follows a wide variety of an urban center. share their love of sports sports. Owns merchandise with their children. or memorabilia and frequently bets on matches. “ I want to follow teams and “ I want to watch games with “I want to follow as many athletes that inspire me my family and get my kids– different leagues as I can– and share my values.” especially my daughter– including both men’s and interested in sports.” women’s sports.” 15. “The streaming wars’ next frontier?”, National Research Group, April 25, 2022 16. Kaitlin Balasaygun, “In the college sports pay era, female athletes are emerging as big winners”, CNBC, October 15, 2022 13 FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS Leveling the Playing Field Women’s sports are at a turning point–and that’s good news for fans and athletes alike 2022 will almost certainly be looked Q: What do you think could be done to increase back on as a pivotal moment in the the popularity of women’s sports in the US? trajectory of women’s sports. Fans have started to pay more attention to the phenomenal successes of top female Broadcast more games 52% athletes, and broadcasters are finally starting–albeit slowly–to invest more into women’s sports and to give their games Publicize events better 50% a fighting chance of finding an audience. However, we shouldn’t delude ourselves Broadcast more games at prime time 48% about the rate of progress. Despite all the momentum, we’re still a long way from a world in which fans pay equal Improve the quality of coverage and commentary 41% attention to men’s and women’s sports and hold the two in the same level of respect. True parity will be a generation- Invest more in sporting opportunities for young girls 37% spanning project–and is unlikely to be achieved until there’s a new cohort of fans who grew up with a deep emotional Get brands to spend more money on sponsorships 36% connection to women’s sports. The priority, therefore, needs to be finding ways to keep up and build on this new sense of momentum. Partly, that’s a question of policy: there needs to be more investment in the school-to-college-to-pro pipeline for 39% female athletes, and leagues should be of sports fa h n a s v s e a y m t o h r e e y b r Fans today may be more willing than compelled to make their pay structures r e a s n p d e s c i t f f t o h r e y previous generations to take an interest more transparent and more equitable. a s c e ti e v e th ly e m pr om in women’s sports, but there have to But it’s also a matter of storytelling. w o o t m in e g n ’s spo be compelling narratives that they can rts. attach to and invest in. Those narratives aren’t written solely on the pitch or the court; they’re a product of the way that games are promoted, how they’re written about by journalists, and how athletes are portrayed in films, TV shows, and documentary features. While it’s true that most fans don’t currently seek out or spend money on women’s sports, that isn’t an immutable fact of nature; it’s because, due to decades of underinvestment–from salaries to brand sponsorships to media spend–women’s sports don’t have the same kind of fan culture and community around them. And as a result, female athletes simply aren’t given the same opportunities as men to build their narratives and tell their stories. 14 FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS Leveling the Playing Field In the best-case scenario, the current wave of But what’s clear is that the potential for growth in interest in women’s sports will lead to a kind of women’s sports fandom far exceeds its current size. snowball effect. As women’s events start to get more We may eventually be able to get there–but only if leagues, airtime, coverage, and promotion, this will chip away at broadcasters, and policy-makers are willing to seize the the long-standing myth that there’s no audience for these opportunity in front of them. If the current momentum games–in turn encouraging more investment into this space. is any indication, the payoff will be well worth it. Potentially, we may even start to see outside investors like private equity firms take an interest in women’s sports, mirroring their recent surge of interest in men’s events. A leading global insights and strategy firm at the intersection A market-leading data and analytics firm specializing in the of content, culture and technology. The world’s most powerful media sector. Ampere’s research meshes in-depth financial marketers turn to us for insights into growth and strategy for and KPI analysis of company performance, detailed consumer any content, anywhere, on any device. profiling and polling, and in-depth coverage of rights licensing and content commissioning, to provide clients with a detailed, comprehensive and accurate view of the world’s media markets. METHODOLOGY Data on attitudes and behaviors of US sports fans is based on a study of 2,500 fans, conducted by NRG in October AUTHORS 2022, analyzing their engagement with and opinions towards National Research Group: Fergus Navaratnam-Blair, women’s leagues and female athletes. Lucy Murrey, Jay Kaufman, Aviva Chaidell, Mary Moczula, Brian Cook, Ryan Mauri, Marlon Cumberbatch, Keith Wagstaff Sports rights market valuations are based on a bottom-up research and modeling process for each event, in each Ampere Analysis: Richard Broughton, Minal Modha, major sports market worldwide. The Ampere team collects Jack Genovese rights values, deal terms and other key details for each event as they are announced by rights sellers and buyers, and Design by Olivia Reaney-Hall maintains a sophisticated rights valuation model to cross- Illustrations by Hannah Robinson check deal metrics against rights owner financials, rights buyer income streams and costs, and consumer demand for the events. Global sports fandom data is derived from an in-depth sports-fan-specific study, in which 15,000 sports fans are polled on their favorite events and teams, their engagement with televised sport and related content, and their viewing preferences and willingness to spend to access sport content, across 12 major sports markets.