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There’s been a recent rise in women’s sports viewership, including a record attendance of nearly 2 million fans for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and the first gender equal Olympics being held in Paris last year. As women in sports media step forward into the spotlight, here’s what sports streamers can learn from this encouraging trend.
We’ve come a long way from the 1900 Olympics, where only 22 women took part in the Games. Famous women in sports have become household names around the world, including Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Simone Biles, Caitlin Clark, and Katie Ledecky – just to name a few!
In 2023, the Professional Women’s Hockey League held their inaugural match, which immediately set global attendance records. And, during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, over 60% of respondents to a YouGov survey of US adults reported that they watched more women’s events than men’s events. The women’s gymnastics team finals had an average audience of 12.7 million viewers. Social media content from female Olympians drove 53% of engagement across TikTok and Instagram, including Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, and US rugby player Ilona Maher.
Increased support and investment in women’s sports isn’t without reward, of course. Sponsors of the Ladies Professional Golf Association reported 400% return in media value on investment in 2023. Following the spike in interest of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the WNBA now stands to take in $200 million per year from its media partners over the next 11 years.
Moreover, fans of female athletes reward channels that champion women’s sports – even in collegiate sports. Women’s NCAA basketball fans said they were more likely to pay extra to subscribe to a service that offers more women’s sports content.
Whether you’re a grassroots women’s sports team, a brand looking to inject new life in your marketing, or an aspiring sports live streamer, there’s a number of lessons you can learn from the rise of women’s sports viewership.
Although women’s sports make up only a sliver of live broadcasts, there is an audience of fans waiting to be tapped into. In fact, women’s sports attracts a more diverse audience, including young women, families, and sports enthusiasts. Modern audiences still want the excitement of live sports, but are struggling to find places to watch women’s sports. The demand exists, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t start live streaming the next collegiate tournament, youth sports match, or grassroots women’s team. You might be tapping into a niche before your competitors!
Buying a ticket or travelling to a stadium can be difficult for several fans, especially if a match is inconveniently located or scheduled during a work day. Live streaming lowers these barriers and gets more eyes on the game, which in turn increases people’s awareness of women’s teams. This allows teams to reach even more audiences – an invaluable resource for grassroots teams, or in regions where women’s sports might not be popular.
The beauty of live streaming is that you can do it on a reasonable budget. Streaming platforms are mostly free to use, and you can take advantage of open source streaming software like OBS Studio, and free animated overlays to keep your audience updated on the score and game highlights. This makes live streaming a powerful tool for attracting more players, fans, and people who want to help out.
Fans reward brands that support their teams. By advancing gender equality, sponsors of women’s athletics are seen in a positive light. This builds loyalty and trust amongst consumers who value these principles. More importantly, the diversity of the audience reached by women’s sports means a greater range of products and services can be marketed. (The 2024 Olympics saw partnerships with brands in makeup and beauty like Sephora.)
In addition to putting your logo on jerseys and uniforms, another crucial way to associate your brand with a sports team is to include it in live streams. Ask for sponsored ads to run during breaks, and display your logo throughout the game onscreen with a sponsor bug.
Make the most of your women’s sports viewership and start streaming today. You can find a wide variety of free animated sports overlays in our library that are compatible with your favorite streaming software, can be edited and controlled online, and are designed by the same designers who have worked for leading sports broadcasters from around the world. If you’re not sure how to start, or need some help setting up your sports stream setup, you can get more tips and advice from our Discord community.
