Nielsen projects women's soccer to become top-five most popular sport
Women's soccer is set to become one of the world's top five sports by 2030, according to a report by Nielsen Sports in collaboration with PepsiCo, with a global fan base projected to grow by 38% to reach more than 800 million people.
Some 60% of those fans are projected to be women, according to the report "Undervalued to Unstoppable" released on Tuesday, creating one of the few sports which is followed by more females than males.
The global broadcast audience is also expected to rise by 30% across major tournaments by 2030.
While sponsorship deals tripled for the 2023 Women's World Cup from the 2019 tournament, only a small fraction of global sponsorship budgets are allocated to women's soccer, according to the study.
It presents a significant opportunity, the researchers argued, considering women are projected to drive over 75% of household purchasing decisions by 2028.
"We have long believed in the potential of women's football, and today, we're no longer just tracking progress, we're witnessing a breakthrough," said Samantha Lamberti, managing director of Nielsen Sports International.
"From media rights to sponsorship and fan engagement, this is no longer a case of future promise but present value."
Women's soccer is already one of the top 10 most followed sports globally, and momentum appears to be building. Viewership of the U.S.-based National Women's Soccer League championship last year had an 18% increase over the previous year.
Disney+ announced last month a deal to broadcast Women's Champions League matches across Europe, while Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit co-founder and husband of tennis great Serena Williams, acquired a stake in Women's Super League champions Chelsea that same month.
Deloitte recently reported that WSL revenues climbed by 34% during a record-breaking 2023-24 season, and are forecasting WSL clubs' total revenue will reach a record 100 million pounds ($135.93 million) in the 2025-26 season.
WSL attendance, however, has dropped after it peaked in 2023-24 on the heels of the 2023 Women's World Cup, but is expected to have another rise after the European Championship next month in Switzerland.
Nielsen reported a surge in interest around major tournaments. Switzerland grew its women's soccer fan base by 22% in 2024 ahead of the Euros, while interest in the UK rose 15% over the two years after England's victory at Euro 2022.
Women's soccer has enjoyed a 60% rise in female fans over the past five years, according to Nielsen, with momentum strongest in China — with 186 million new fans over that period — followed by Brazil and India.
Growth in participation echoed the increase in interest, with China seeing a 300% rise. Participation has also climbed in Europe, with France — with a 150% jump — Spain (95%), the Netherlands (25%) and the UK (24%) seeing the highest increases since 2019.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
11 hours ago
- Japan Times
Nielsen projects women's soccer to become top-five most popular sport
Women's soccer is set to become one of the world's top five sports by 2030, according to a report by Nielsen Sports in collaboration with PepsiCo, with a global fan base projected to grow by 38% to reach more than 800 million people. Some 60% of those fans are projected to be women, according to the report "Undervalued to Unstoppable" released on Tuesday, creating one of the few sports which is followed by more females than males. The global broadcast audience is also expected to rise by 30% across major tournaments by 2030. While sponsorship deals tripled for the 2023 Women's World Cup from the 2019 tournament, only a small fraction of global sponsorship budgets are allocated to women's soccer, according to the study. It presents a significant opportunity, the researchers argued, considering women are projected to drive over 75% of household purchasing decisions by 2028. "We have long believed in the potential of women's football, and today, we're no longer just tracking progress, we're witnessing a breakthrough," said Samantha Lamberti, managing director of Nielsen Sports International. "From media rights to sponsorship and fan engagement, this is no longer a case of future promise but present value." Women's soccer is already one of the top 10 most followed sports globally, and momentum appears to be building. Viewership of the U.S.-based National Women's Soccer League championship last year had an 18% increase over the previous year. Disney+ announced last month a deal to broadcast Women's Champions League matches across Europe, while Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit co-founder and husband of tennis great Serena Williams, acquired a stake in Women's Super League champions Chelsea that same month. Deloitte recently reported that WSL revenues climbed by 34% during a record-breaking 2023-24 season, and are forecasting WSL clubs' total revenue will reach a record 100 million pounds ($135.93 million) in the 2025-26 season. WSL attendance, however, has dropped after it peaked in 2023-24 on the heels of the 2023 Women's World Cup, but is expected to have another rise after the European Championship next month in Switzerland. Nielsen reported a surge in interest around major tournaments. Switzerland grew its women's soccer fan base by 22% in 2024 ahead of the Euros, while interest in the UK rose 15% over the two years after England's victory at Euro 2022. Women's soccer has enjoyed a 60% rise in female fans over the past five years, according to Nielsen, with momentum strongest in China — with 186 million new fans over that period — followed by Brazil and India. Growth in participation echoed the increase in interest, with China seeing a 300% rise. Participation has also climbed in Europe, with France — with a 150% jump — Spain (95%), the Netherlands (25%) and the UK (24%) seeing the highest increases since 2019.
Japan Times
12 hours ago
- Japan Times
Dodgers' Roki Sasaki may not return this season
The Los Angeles Dodgers paused right-hander Roki Sasaki's rehab program and indicated the rookie may not return this season. Sasaki, 23, landed on the 15-day injured list on May 13 with an impingement in his right shoulder. He went 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA in eight starts before the injury, fanning 24 batters and walking 22 in 34 1/3 innings. Manager Dave Roberts said Sasaki stopped playing catch this weekend and there is no timeline for him to resume throwing. "Being thrust here into this environment certainly was a big undertaking for him. And then you layer in the health part of it, and then you layer he's a starting pitcher, the buildup, what that entails," Roberts said. "I think that that's the prudent way to go about it. Whatever we get from him, and expecting him to be back, obviously, and contributing. "But I think, yeah, the mindset should be we got to plan on life without him, as far as this year." Sasaki joined the Dodgers in January after four successful seasons with Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan. He received a $6.5 million signing bonus and is earning a rookie salary this season of $760,000.
NHK
12 hours ago
- NHK
US media: 'Golden Share' includes govt. veto over US steel board
US media report the government's "golden share" in US Steel after it's acquired by Nippon Steel will give the White House significant sway over the company's management. The New York Times and The Associated Press say the government will have the authority to appoint one of US Steel's three independent board members. It will also have the right to approve or reject the other two appointments. The New York Times says that Nippon Steel maintains the golden share will remain effective until President Donald Trump's four-year term ends. However, in a social media post at the weekend, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the share is perpetual. This suggests the government would hold a permanent stake in US Steel. Specific details of the acquisition agreement that will give the Japanese steelmaker control of the US company have not been announced. Nippon Steel on Saturday announced that Trump had approved the deal. It said the agreement allows it to turn US Steel into a wholly owned subsidiary.
