Bank it like Beckham: Why female footballers are building media companies

New York Times

3 days ago

For years, male soccer stars used their star power to build empires beyond the pitch, diving into media and content ventures. Think of David Beckham and his Studio 99, Lionel Messi's 525 Rosario, Cristiano Ronaldo's UR-Marv and his YouTube Channel, UR Cristiano.
These media ventures not only helped them produce content to elevate their brand and stay in the spotlight but also profit from amplifying others' content.
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However, they're no longer the only game in town. Now, female soccer stars are stepping up, launching their own media ventures, riding the wave of women's sports momentum to seize the mic, shape the narrative and open doors for the next generation.
Take England's Ella Toone. Manchester United's all-time leading scorer, Toone, is entering the world of storytelling with the launch of a new creative agency designed to help women athletes build and own their brands. Teaming up with her manager, James Marshall, the England star has unveiled Amicizia Studios, a content studio aimed at empowering female soccer players, this week.
'Ella has done so well on the pitch, now is the time,' Marshall said in a phone conversation. 'She's got her own academy, podcast and YouTube channel. Launching a production agency felt like the natural next step.'
The goal of Amicizia, which means 'friendship' in Italian, Marshall said, is to work directly with brands and agencies, tell the right stories and take control of the narrative. Marshall and Toone are not reinventing the wheel. They are following a blueprint laid out by some of the biggest names in top U.S. leagues who managed to turn visibility into influence.
'I am obsessed with the U.S. and the business side of things, like what Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman or LeBron James and Maverick Carter are doing,' Marshall said. 'I can see that there is a gap in the market here in the U.K. So why not be the first?'
With more than half of Women's Super League (WSL) players currently lacking sponsorship deals, Toone and Marshall want to seize this market opportunity.
Toone's net worth is unclear, partly due to the lack of salary information in women's football. According to a BBC report, the average annual salary in the Women's Super League is £47,000. However, she is reportedly earning over six figures playing for Manchester United.
England's No. 10 also has sponsorship deals with Nike, Charlotte Tilbury, Specsavers, Impulse and Hilton.
As Toone gears up to help the Lionesses defend their European crown in Switzerland this month, Marshall explained that Amicizia will serve dual roles: a content engine for Toone herself and a bridge connecting other female footballers to brand deals, marketing campaigns and production opportunities.
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As Marshall put it, the U.S. changed the game for athletes a long time ago, not only led by the NBA stars he mentioned. A handful of female soccer and basketball players have already capitalized on their success, becoming media entrepreneurs with successful businesses that create opportunities for others as well.
Midge Purce is a prime example. The 29-year-old soccer star did not just cash her checks throughout her successful professional career; she built a media venture with them. After winning the NWSL Championship with Gotham FC in 2024, Purce tore her ACL at the very beginning of the 2024 season, ruling her out for the remainder of the season and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
However, the Harvard graduate co-created and executive produced 'The Offseason,' a reality show on X about NWSL players in their off-season grind, alongside prolific women's sports investor Alexis Ohanian, produced by Box to Box Films (think 'Drive to Survive' and 'Break Point') and 32 Flavors (the production company for 'Vanderpump Rules' and 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills').
And Purce didn't just pitch the idea; she also runs it.
'I'm on with the editors, and I'm storyboarding, and I'm making sure that the way that my friends are represented is not only accurate, but it helps grow the sport. And it does it in a way that is right for women's sports and for my friends,' she told Sports Illustrated.
The show's first episode drew over 2.5 million views within its first 24 hours, according to NWSL, and according to Ohanian, a second season is on the horizon.
Purce isn't the only soccer star investing in content.
Two-time World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe and her WNBA legend partner, Sue Bird, co-founded Touch More in 2022, a production company and creative hub dedicated to centering female athlete storytelling, with a mission to 'tear down old scripts, open doors and inspire others to do the same,' according to their website.
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They also teamed up with Togethxr, a lifestyle media brand they co-founded with other elite athletes, including Rapinoe's teammate Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim and Simone Manuel, to help close the visibility gap in women's sports.
Awareness is only part of the story; it's also turning out to be good business.
In 2024 alone, Togethxr's 'Everyone Watches Women's Sports' merchandise line generated an impressive $6 million in revenue. The merchandise became such a massive hit among women's soccer fans that it led the company to launch a special edition for the Women's Euro 2025.
That kind of commercial success underscores a growing truth in women's sports: Visibility isn't just about empowerment, it's about profits. And in a landscape where many female athletes are still fighting for financial stability, especially in Europe, every revenue stream counts.
'In the U.S., sports are deeply tied to entertainment,' said Christina Taylor, the founder and CEO of The Purpose Agency, which works with female footballers like Mary Earps and Siobhan Wilson. 'That culture encourages athletes to show personality and build their own brands. American athletes are expected to be entertainers, not just competitors and the system supports that.
'In Europe, it's a different story. Football is king, and traditionally it's been all about the team.'
Taylor's agency focuses on growing athletes' social media followings and monetizing their content.
'For female players, though, the equation shifts. They don't earn anywhere near what the men do,' she explains.
Added Taylor: 'That's not enough to retire on. So, building a brand and pursuing commercial ventures isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a financial necessity. That's why you're seeing more women in Europe, especially in the UK, leaning into content, sponsorships, and business. It's about securing their future beyond football.'
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Despite the hype surrounding women's sports, considerable work remains to be done on the commercial side, and Europe lags behind the U.S. in terms of marketing opportunities for female players.
However, as Marshall and Taylor said, expect more female-led production companies, cross-industry partnerships, and new media formats on the other side of the Atlantic. With Toone's Amicizia, what we're witnessing is the early stages of a power shift, similar to what is happening on the pitch.
While they are setting the stage, the next wave of athlete-driven media will come in stronger, louder and increasingly more lucrative for female football players.
'I think women's sport is in a really powerful place where it's starting to be respected more in conversations and deservedly so,' Earps said. 'Therefore, doors are opening. Obviously, we're all striving towards equal opportunity.
'I think the more diversity that you have in this conversation, the more women you have in this conversation who can speak from their experiences and have valid points of view and perspectives, the better the outcome.'