Fan base for women’s football to reach top five of global sports: Nielsen

LONDON – 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 per cent to reach more than 800 million people.

Some 60 per cent of those fans are projected to be women, according to their report Undervalued To Unstoppable released on June 17, 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 per cent 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 per cent 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. Total viewership of the United States-based National Women’s Soccer League across Nielsen-rated platforms in 2024 reached 18.7 million, a fivefold gain from the 2023 season.

Disney+ announced in May 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 (WSL) champions Chelsea that same month.

Deloitte recently reported that WSL revenues climbed by 34 per cent during a record-breaking 2023-24 season, and are forecasting WSL clubs’ total revenue will reach a record £100 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 July’s European Championship in Switzerland.

Nielsen reported a surge in interest around major tournaments. Switzerland grew its women’s football fan base by 22 per cent in 2024 ahead of the Euro, while interest in Britain rose 15 per cent over the two years after England’s victory at Euro 2022.

Women’s football has enjoyed a 60 per cent 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 per cent rise.

Participation has also climbed in Europe, with France – a 150 per cent jump – Spain (95 per cent), the Netherlands (25 per cent) and Britain (24 per cent) seeing the highest increases since 2019.
REUTERS