The Moment is Now

To say that women’s sport in North America is thriving is an understatement.

This past November, I hosted a panel of a few leading sports figures (mostly female) to discuss the rise in women's professional sports. It was both a pleasure and an honour. It was an event that made me realize – fully realize – that women’s sports is having a real moment. A great moment. And that moment is now.

“Fans and sold-out arenas prove the power of women’s sports,” was a headline in the Globe and Mail in October 2024. Just think about this past year. The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is now in its second season, with the first season widely heralded as a success. Millions of viewers tuning in, attendance records being set, and ticket demand forcing some teams to move to bigger venues. In a recent poll that ranked the reputations of brands in the minds of Canadians, the PWHL took the No. 1 spot. Ahead of brands such as Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire, and the even NHL.

Remember Caitlin Clark? The US college basketball megastar who drove viewership of the NCAA tournament final game to 24 million viewers, making it the first time in history that a women’s final drew a larger TV audience than the men’s. It was also the most-watched basketball game, men’s or women’s, college or professional, since 2019. She is now in the WNBA, taking that already successful league to new heights. As a recent article in the Globe and Mail put it, Clark has made women’s basketball “must-see TV.” In July, the WNBA signed a historic 11-year, US$2.2 billion media-rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime and NBC. Oh yeah, and Canada is getting a team. The Toronto Tempo tip off in 2026.

The National Women’s Soccer League is well-established south of the border, while here in Canada we will be treated to our own professional soccer league starting in April, when the Northern Super League kicks off.

And of course, it isn’t just the pros. Think back to the Summer Olympics in Paris, where Summer McIntosh dominated in the pool? Not to mention Simone Biles, who did things I have never seen a gymnast do.

Amateur, professional, little kids, adults. The moment is now for women’s sports. And I really believe that it isn’t just because women are good at playing the same games that men do. That’s part of it, obviously. But it’s a slightly different experience. I have season tickets for the Toronto Sceptres – who are playing this weekend in front of a nearly sold-out crowd at Scotiabank Arena – and I love the games. There is a connection and community that is unique to women’s sports. Research has actually shown that consumers of women’s sports are looking for different connection points in comparison to consumers of men’s sports. Female sports fans are looking for more than just game-day action: they are looking to be part of a story. They want the excitement of being part of a movement. A community.

The drumbeat that the time is now. Clark herself said it so well that I’ll give her the final word:

“I think you see it across the board, whether it’s softball, whether it’s gymnastics, volleyball. People want to watch. It’s just when they’re given the opportunity, the research and the facts show that people love it.”