The growth of women’s sports is a layered story that pairs long-term strategy with cultural momentum.
Over the years, generations of fans have continued to advocate for equity for women athletes in their respective sports. These conversations were the catalyst for brands, leagues, and media networks to develop a game plan for growing equity of media coverage, increasing brand partnership commitments, and evolving media platforms.
The star power from athletes like Caitlin Clark, Ilona Maher, and Alex Morgan is amplifying these efforts, and establishing women’s sports leagues as essential stakeholders in the broader sports ecosystem. Together, these forces are shaping a future where women’s sports hold a permanent and influential position in the industry.
Women’s sports are not just a trend or “having a moment.” They are, by design, evolving the sports landscape – and in turn the media and advertising landscape. Category viewership is at an all-time high, and revenue generated by U.S. women’s sports in 2024 is set to exceed $1 billion for the first time, which is fueling new developments across the media landscape, particularly in audio. The surge of women’s sports isn’t stopping at traditional media channels, and clients have the opportunity to be innovators by tapping into the growth in places like podcasting.
Coverage Equity in Women’s Sports
Historically, the share of coverage for women’s sports hovered around 4%. The limited access to watching games, and lack of content around athlete storylines created barriers for fans to keep up with women’s sports.
But as of quite recently, networks are focusing on equity for holistic women’s sports coverage. This means, coverage and content on and off the field. Whether it’s shoulder programming, or year-around conversations, fans want more content. They want the highlight reels, the hot takes, the rumors, the history, the debates and the controversies, and all of this ultimately drives more fan engagement. Networks are prioritizing women’s sports on their broadcast lineups and giving women’s sports prime-time slots and high-profile marketing support. As of 2023, women’s sports coverage now sits at 15% (triple that of earlier figures!), and networks intend to keep narrowing the coverage gap between men’s and women’s sports.
Fan demand has dramatically helped drive this shift. According to a recent Nielsen report, 84% of sports fans express interest in watching more women’s sports on TV, pushing networks to respond with more comprehensive programming. Increased coverage doesn’t just meet demand; it also generates momentum, creating a feedback loop where more exposure leads to more fans, and more fans lead to higher revenue and more advertising opportunities for brands who want to align with this incredibly dynamic space.
Viewership Surge in Recent Years
As media coverage for women’s sports continues to grow, media networks are seeing a surge in viewership. Each round of 2024 NCAA Women’s March Madness saw viewership growth up 121% year-over-year overall and for the first time ever, the women’s title game drew more viewers than the men’s.
The ratings story doesn’t end there. The National Women’s Football League saw a 2024% increase in interest between 2017 and 2023, and the England Women’s Super League saw a 2022% surge following England’s victory at the 1952 Euros. Rising viewership starts with a loyal fan base, further strengthened by broadcast equity. This loyal fan base is increasingly engaging, following various leagues and tournaments live on cable and streaming services, as well as through sports broadcasting channels like attv24. This highlights the importance of broadcasters’ commitment to women’s sports coverage and the opportunity for brands to connect with this growing audience.
How This is Evolving the Podcast Ecosystem
The expansion of women’s sports coverage has impacted more than just streaming or linear TV. Podcasts focusing on women’s sports are now surging, providing fans with year-round content and deeper engagement–and there’s no better way to invest fans into a storyline than through the podcast ecosystem. Podcasting is an intimate and personal medium that captivates listeners through the power of storytelling. This draws in advertisers, because podcast advertising can drive awareness, favorability, consideration, intent, and ultimately customer acquisition. A well-balanced podcast strategy will utilize personal endorsements, tailored creative content, and sophisticated audience targeting to act as a full-funnel marketing channel.
With this in mind, the audio format is a perfect fit for women’s sports. Streaming audio offers brands a way to connect with fans in a personal and immersive way, capitalizing on the cultural rise of women’s sports. The podcast network ecosystem is embracing the evolution and investing into women’s sports content to make their portfolio more inclusive. iHeart recently announced Women’s Sports Audio Network, a first-ever audio platform dedicated exclusively to women’s sports. Other networks are also investing in women’s sports like The Athletic, Dear Media, and VOX to name a few. Shows like The GIST highlight the stories, challenges, and triumphs of women athletes, filling gaps left by broadcast coverage. Many advertisers are now investing in both TV and podcast ads, amplifying their messages across platforms.
Why This Is Important
From an industry perspective, this shift is diversifying the sports marketplace, and unlocking access for brands to reach a loyal and growing fan base. It is an important cultural shift that is highlighting the value that women’s sports can bring to the social and cultural ecosystem. As broadcast distribution increases, more fans have access to games, and in turn more brands are investing in reaching those fans with significant buying power.
While this is significant for the industry, this is bigger than ad revenue, and bigger than brands connecting with consumers. The momentum of women’s sports is carving the path for future women athletes and inspiring generations to come. Women’s sports promote gender equality, and empower women to continue challenging gender norms to stimulate change.
“Brands have the opportunity right now to be part of a huge cultural movement in sports. Not only do advertisers gain access to a loyal and affluent fan base, but they have the opportunity to contribute to an important shift in the marketplace. Together, support from brands and broadcasters creates a synergistic effect that enables sustainable growth for women’s sports. Within our media recommendations, we continue to advocate for women’s sports to ensure that our clients know that the space is accessible, can provide massive reach, and ultimately drive incredible return on investment.”
Conclusion
The rise of women’s sports is transforming the media landscape, driving unprecedented ad revenue on TV while also reshaping the audio ecosystem. This shift underscores the importance of coverage equity, not only for its economic benefits but for its role in societal progress. For brands and advertisers, the rapid growth of women’s sports presents a unique opportunity to engage with passionate, loyal audiences, in an authentic way. Audio, and particularly podcasts, offers an ideal environment to extend this connection with its ability to shape a story, and spark conversation.
As consumption continues to grow, the momentum around women’s sports shows no sign of slowing. Brands are harnessing the power of women’s sports through both traditional and emerging media channels and taking a stance that has a positive impact on the space, as well as their own business outcomes.
At Tinuiti, we’re on the cutting edge of emerging media, helping brands navigate the evolving landscape of TV & audio streaming, and so much more. Learn more about our audio and streaming solutions here or contact us today for more information.
