This Is Not Your Average Sports And Culture Report
This report is a celebration and opportunity to give Women+ sports culture and its fans the love they deserve. It also explores the power and potential of Women+ sports—specifically how it impacts the industry, culture, social influence, and fan base growth to create relevance for brands.
Finally, it’s an open invitation for forward-thinking individuals, brands and marketers seeking inspiration on how to participate in relevant and emerging cultural conversations. These cultural conversations are able to drive business impact through authenticity and create cultural capital.
"The Future Of Sports Is Not JUST Female; It's Intersectional"
Women+ sports are finally having their moment and there's no doubt that social/digital engagement is one of the biggest reasons behind the recent growth in popularity and visibility.
Here, we explore the influence of culture, fandom, and the role of social media in Women+ sports. It’s intentionally designed to not center around the standard and typical white, cis-male, heterosexual sports fan.
The Numbers Don't Lie.
The 1st
The 2024 Olympic Games were the first ever to feature the same number of athletes in both Men and Women events.
18 Million +
Over 18 Million fans tuned into the 2024 NCAA women's national championship. The most viewed basketball game* in the last 5 years.
3.4 Million +
Over 3.4 Million watched Coco Gauff’s US Open tennis victory—drawing in more viewers than the men’s singles final.
Debunking The Myths
“The next time someone tells you that ‘no one cares about Women+ sports' or presents you with one of these antiquated myths, challenge them with the facts.”
Alexis Ohanian
co-founder of Reddit
Myth 01:
There's Low Interest
Reality:
Sold Out Season Tickets
Three WNBA teams completely sold out season tickets before the league’s 2024 kickoff. The first time in the league's 27-year history.
Increased Search Volume
Search volume around Women+ sports has increased double-digit percentages every year from ‘20–’23.
More Social Attention
More people were talking about the WNBA on social than about the NBA at multiple points during the ‘24 NBA season.
Myth 02:
It's Not Entertaining
Reality:
8 more Olympic medals
Women earned 8 more US Olympic medals at the 2024 Paris Games compared to the men. The final score: 67 to 59.
1.8x More
Moving Than Men's Sports
A linguistic analysis of social conversation revealed the emotional intensity of fans to see Women+ sports as 1.8x more “moving” compared to men’s sports.
275% More Media Coverage
Over the last 5 years Women+ sports have seen a 275% increase in media coverage.
Myth 03:
It's Not Profitable
Reality:
300%
Women+ sports revenue has increased 300% from the last 3 years. Projected to generate 1.28B in 2024.
$1B
Women+ sports are expected to generate more than $1 Billion for the first time in 2024.
10x
The WNBA TV rights increased tenfold in a single year—shifting from $6-7M in 2023 to $65M, today.
Myth 04:
The Fans Aren't True Fans
Reality:
More Likely To Attend Games
Women fans are 4% more likely than men to attend a game in-person.
More Likely To Buy Tickets
Women who’ve played sports themselves are more likely than men to maintain season passes and ticket packages.
More Likely To Watch And Buy Merch
Last year, Women were more likely to have watched sports online and have purchased memorabilia.
Introducing:
The New Cultural Operating Systems
So, why are Women+ sports finally getting the attention they deserve now?
The short answer: Because Women+ sports now have the right marketing ingredients to shine and succeed.
Intentional or not, the current culture of Women+ sports has adopted a form of marketing that’s already been tweaked and perfected by culture-first brands—known as ”energy marketing.” or “cultural marketing.”
“Energy marketing or cultural marketing... is about community building and demand generation using organic digital, influencer and disruptive tactics.”
Reggie Casagrande
Global Integrated Culture Marketing Executive
Energy Marketing:
A human-first approach that uses technology to create cultural energy and capital through four key indicators: Community, Connectivity, Amplification, & Value.
These indicators can measure well-known energy marketing moments—like when Taylor Swift took interest in the NFL, or when Kamala Harris enjoyed her ‘Brat summer’, or even when Snoop Dogg unofficially became the US Olympic mascot.
Just as our indicators could be used to assess those marketing moments, we’ll use them to uncover how cultural energy and capital are being generated via Women+ sports.
Each Indicator helps us analyze how interaction of culture, fans, and exposure can cultivate success, popularity, and profitability for any brand, sport, or idea. Let’s explore each a bit further.
Community
Hyper-engaged communities and subcultures, deeply invested in shared interests.
Connectivity
Cultural forces/trends driven by powerful fandom and key voices on social media.
Amplification
Garnering mainstream attention and broader cultural adoption.
Value
Commercial, fandom, and brand investment.
In Our Series
As this report continues, we’ll be exploring each of our indicators through the lens of:
Pascal Le (Segretain/Getty Images)
The Main Stage
Capturing the eyes, minds, and hearts of mainstream media and culture.
