Advancing Women's Sports Through Sponsorship

Women's sport has historically received less attention and investment compared to men's sports. However, there has been a shift in recent years as the demand for gender equality in sports has gained momentum. Sponsorship plays a crucial role in this transformation by providing financial support, visibility, and resources to women's sports initiatives. This report explores how sponsorship can be leveraged to advance the development and growth of women's sports on a global scale.

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The Importance of Sponsorship in Women's Sports

Financial Support - Sponsorship serves as a vital source of funding for women's sports programs, teams, and athletes. It enables access to resources for training, facilities, equipment, and travel expenses, ultimately facilitating the development of talent and the professionalisation of women's sports.

Increased Exposure - Sponsorship provides women's sports with increased visibility and exposure, both locally and internationally. Through sponsorship agreements, athletes and teams gain access to marketing platforms, media coverage, and promotional opportunities, enhancing their visibility and fan base.

Professionalisation and Sustainability- Sponsorship contributes to the professionalisation and sustainability of women's sports by creating opportunities for athletes to pursue careers in sports and earn a living from their talent. By investing in women's sports, sponsors play a crucial role in creating pathways for athletes to compete at the highest levels and secure long-term success.

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Misconceptions

No one watches women’s sports

Last year, for example, the audience for the NWSL championship game shot up 71 per cent to 915,000 after increased media spend from Ally pushed CBS to broadcast the fixture during primetime.

NBC Sports also reported that its coverage of the recent US Women’s Open was the most watched since 2014, which came after the golf tournament was given the first primetime slot in its history.

The more broadcasters put women’s sports centre stage, the more those numbers will continue to come in, and the harder it will become for brands to ignore.

There’s no business case for women’s sports

While some brands may sponsor women’s sport due to corporate social responsibility, it should also be acknowledged that women’s sport organisations show long-term loyalty to their sponsors.

Indeed, comprehensive research published last week showed that 29 per cent of UK adults think more favourably of brands that sponsor women’s sport, compared to 17 per cent for men’s sport. The Women’s Sport Trust study also revealed that 16 per cent of the UK population are more likely to buy from a company sponsoring women’s sport, compared to 13 per cent for partners of men’s sport.

Only women watch women’s sports

Another misconception among brands is that the audience for women’s sports is almost exclusively female, which limits the reach for sponsors also wanting to market to men.

A Nielsen study conducted as far back as 2018, for example, found that 51 per cent of fans interested in women’s sports were male. That share is only likely to have increased in the last five years. The results of a Kantar survey published this year, meanwhile, found that around a quarter of British men plan to follow the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup, an increase of seven per cent on the 2019 edition.

It's also evident that more men are attending women's sports events to introduce their children to live action in a cost-effective and family-friendly setting.

It isn’t worth the money

Barclays bank spent UK￡10 million to sponsor the Women’s Super League. It has proved to be an extremely savvy deal with the growth of the WSL recently and Barclays have been rewarded for choosing to buy into ?“what could be”. This is something that needs to be adopted more widely.?

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The TikTok Effect

TikTok is a place for discovering amazing sports content. Whether that’s behind-the-scenes training clips, highlight reels, athlete ‘day in the life’ vlogs, teams trying out TikTok challenges, soccer freestyle tutorials or anything else, the ‘For You’ feed delivers a stream of content that’s fresh and interesting. This is because TikTok shows people videos based on what they watch rather than who they follow. This innovative source of discovery has opened up fresh avenues for women’s sport content to acquire new fans.

As well as being a platform for discovery, TikTok is all about getting involved, levelling the playing field and inviting everyone to participate in our sports community. Each video is made even more entertaining by people riffing on each other’s ideas using our editing tools and special effects, from the Lionesses trying out the ‘make this sound’ challenge, to Manchester City using TikTok’s Duet function to get the community commentating over goals.

Away from football, Mia Baker is inspiring more women to play golf with her down-to-earth content documenting her own journey in the game, while Lissie Mackintosh, dubbed ‘Queen of the Paddock’ by her followers, has become one of the top Formula One creators, going behind-the-scenes at Grand Prix events around the world and interviewing superstar drivers.

Challenges and Opportunities

Gender Bias and Stereotypes

Despite progress, gender bias and stereotypes continue to present challenges for women's sports sponsorship. Sponsors may be hesitant to invest in women's sports due to perceived lower profitability or audience appeal compared to men's sports. Overcoming these biases requires proactive efforts to challenge stereotypes and promote the value and potential of women's sports.

Market Growth and Audience Engagement

The growth of women's sports presents significant opportunities for sponsors to tap into new markets and engage diverse audiences. By aligning with the values of inclusivity, diversity, and empowerment, sponsors can position themselves as supporters of gender equality and social change, enhancing their brand reputation and appeal.

Collaboration and Partnerships

Collaboration between stakeholders, including sports organisations, sponsors, broadcasters, and government agencies, is essential for advancing women's sports through sponsorship. By working together to develop innovative sponsorship models and initiatives, stakeholders can maximise the impact of sponsorship and drive sustainable growth in women's sports.

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Closing Thoughts

Sponsorship has the power to drive significant positive change in women's sports by providing financial support, visibility, and resources to athletes and organisations. By recognising the importance of sponsorship and leveraging it effectively, stakeholders can advance the development and growth of women's sports, ultimately creating a more equitable and inclusive sports landscape for future generations.