Nielsen projecting women's football's fan base to reach top-five of global sports
MANCHESTER, England, June 17 (Reuters) - Women's football 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 their 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 football, 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 football 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 football 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 football 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, 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.
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