From Sports Bars To Big Deals, Women Athletes Are Winning—Yet Pay Gaps Persist

Forbes

a day ago

The WNBA's New York Liberty was recently estimated to be valued at $450 million.
Summer 2025 is signaling a remarkable wave of milestones in women's sports. After a strong-performing 2024 that saw equal representation between women and men at the Olympics for the first time in history as well as standout college stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese making their much-anticipated WNBA debuts, women athletes have only continued to build on their momentum. In fact, this year, the growth potential for women athletes is expected to be even more impressive.
According to reporting from Axios, there are now eleven women's sports bars across the U.S., a significant feat considering there was only one just three years ago. More locations may be on the horizon, as The Sports Bra, the world's first sports bar dedicated exclusively to women's sports, plans to expand into four more U.S. cities. In addition to being a popular place to watch women's games, many women's sports bars have developed into robust community hubs that welcome sports fans from all backgrounds.
ROSEMONT, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 28: Haylie McCleney #28 of Team Piancastelli hits a home run in the ... More sixth inning against Team Ocasio during the final weekend of the Athletes Unlimited softball league at Parkway Bank Sports Complex on September 28, 2020 in Rosemont, Illinois. (Photo by)
MLB also recently announced in a press release plans to invest in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). MLB commissioner Robert D. Manfred called the investment 'an opportunity to support softball's long-term growth and expand our engagement with these outstanding athletes and their fans.' This marks MLB's first-ever partnership with a women's professional sports league and is expected to accelerate the AUSL's growth by helping cover operational costs and broadcasting AUSL games on MLB Network.
And just last month, sources told The Athletic that the WNBA's New York Liberty was estimated to be valued at $450 million, a record-valuation in women's sports and well over double its estimated valuation just a year ago. Only a few days prior, Chelsea FC Women announced that Alex Ohanian, Reddit co-founder and husband of Serena Williams, bought a minority stake in the club at a price that would value the team at $326 million. In an interview with the BBC, Ohanian stated that the treble-winning club will one day be a 'billion-dollar franchise' (Chelsea FC Women is fresh off an undefeated season in the Women's Super League, won the Women's League Cup earlier this year, and recently lifted the FA Cup trophy after a 3-0 victory against Manchester United).
Women are also excelling on the international sports stage. In March, Kirsty Coventry was elected as the first woman president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and FIFA just confirmed the expansion of the Women's World Cup from 32 to 48 teams for 2031.
These achievements only scratch the surface of the many ways women's sports are poised to thrive in summer 2025. It's no surprise, then, that Deloitte has projected the global value of women's sports to exceed $2 billion this year. However, unlocking this industry's full potential will require addressing significant gaps in pay equity.
Despite countless strides forward, women athletes remain severely underpaid, often requiring them to take on outside jobs that limit their time to train and focus on their sport. In its report titled, 'Beyond the Game: Exposing the Economic Realities of Professional Women Athletes,' sports marketing and sponsorship platform Parity found that over half of women athletes earn no net income after accounting for sports-related costs, and 74% hold other jobs in addition to having intense training schedules. Gender pay disparities even exist among the highest-paid athletes. Forbes reports that Coco Gauff, the highest-paid woman athlete, falls nearly $20 million short of making its list of the 50 highest-paid athletes for 2025 (a list currently composed entirely of men).
From local women's sports bars to growth on the global stage, the appetite for women's sports is clear. Unfortunately, much like when this author covered the business wins of women's sports in 2024, to meet that demand and achieve true pay equity requires increased investment, brand partnerships, and media engagement. Men's professional sports have had a century-and-a-half-long head start, so naturally, women's sports have a lot of catching up to do, and while each step forward matters, slowing down isn't an option. To reach the full potential of women's sports, we'll have to pick up the pace.
The good news is, progress is continuing to be made. In addition to the MLB's investment in the AUSL, others are seizing the opportunity to invest in women's sports and are cashing in. New ventures, like Ariel Investments' Project Level, are being created specifically to fund women's sports initiatives. Brands are also beginning to forge partnerships with men's and women's leagues, such as Airbnb's partnership with both the men's and women's Tour de France for the next three years. And CBS Sports recently announced that it has acquired the rights to the UEFA Women's Champions League, with all matches for this year's season streaming on Paramount+.
With rising investment, growing fan enthusiasm, and heightened global visibility, the foundation is being laid for a future where women are fully supported both on and off the field. Still, empowering women athletes to reach their full potential depends on closing persistent gaps in pay, media coverage and funding. If this summer is any indication, the world is ready not just to celebrate women's sports, but to take the next step to ensure women athletes receive the level of recognition, resources, and compensation they have earned.