At GOALS, we believe it’s good business to invest in women’s sports, and our GOAL is to prove it.
The stories are all too common: pay gaps on & off the field, exploitation, lower endorsements, poor facilities, minimal acknowledgments, lack of coverage; the list is endless. Women's sports deserve more. More money. More sponsors. More opportunities. More support. More coverage. More power. Much, much more.
Women’s sports are the most exciting trend in the sports industry right now - and the most undervalued. In the last year alone, women’s sports have garnered record-breaking viewership and engagement. In a year when viewership around men’s sports declined, more people consumed women’s sports than ever. Some highlights include:
● 2020 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) viewership was up 493% percent.
● The 2021 Women’s College Softball World Series was the most viewed in history - up 10% over 2019.
● The 2020 NCAA Women’s College Soccer Cup Championship game was the most viewed on record.
● Viewership of the 2020 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship Game was up 28% over 2019.
● The 2021 NCAA Women’s National College Gymnastics Championships was the most-viewed gymnastics championship ever on ESPN networks.
● 2020 WNBA Finals Viewership was up 15% over 2019.
Despite these glass-shattering statistics, women's sports still receive less than 1% of global sponsorship dollars; even though research from True North Research shows that sponsors of women’s sports teams actually have better returns on their investments than sponsors of men’s sports teams.
Women's sports are a largely untapped market with high growth potential, and brands have so much to gain by working with and investing in women athletes. Bottom line: Women’s sports are on an upward trajectory, and it’s simply good business to invest in women’s sports.
About GOALS
GOALS is a media company that is dedicated to covering the business of women’s sports. Best known for their podcast, The Business Case For Women’s Sports, and their weekly women’s sports business newsletter, GOALS sets out to show brands, networks & people in general that it’s good business to invest in women’s sports. Learn more at goals-sports.com, and follow GOALS on Instagram & Twitter @goals_sports_.
- Caroline Fitzgerald (@pghcaroline)
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