Now is the time to double down on women’s football

Now is the time to double down on women’s football

?By Juli Ferré Nadal

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Viewing figures tell the story of a wildly successful Women’s World Cup, in which my home country Spain came out on top after a thrilling and memorable tournament.

In the UK, a peak total of 14.4 million people watched England in their 1-0 final defeat, while in Spain the equivalent figure was 7.4m – the country’s highest-ever TV audience for a women’s game.

Records also tumbled in joint-host country Australia, where a peak of 11.2m saw their semi-final against England. That’s the biggest viewing figure for any sporting event ever recorded by research firm OzTAM since its launch over 20 years ago.

Little wonder those numbers were so high, given that the action was fantastic, with spectacular goals scored and new heroes emerging throughout the competition. Even at this new high point in the sport’s history, though, I believe that international women’s football is a success story that has only just begun.

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Profile

Europe in particular is experiencing a surge in success in the sport. While the US and Brazil previously dominated international competition, the all-European final can be seen as a changing of the old guard, with the success of the Champions League and top divisions in England and Spain playing their part in elevating leading players. In turn, international success stories will help to further raise the profile of these competitions over the coming season.

Women’s football is also a story of success in attracting new demographics. UEFA’s report, The Business Case for Women’s Football, revealed that women’s football continues to attract an audience that is “more down to earth, family-oriented and progressive” compared to the men’s game. In last year’s UEFA Women's EURO tournament, Generation Z supporters aged between nine and 25 years old bought around a third of all match tickets.?

With the Women's EURO 2025 taking place in Switzerland, the heart of the continent, we can expect to see an increasing number of brands tapping into the ever-increasing popularity and success of women’s football in Europe through commercial activations.

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Empowerment

?One great example of this from the World Cup was Visa’s campaign, in which the company extended its Player of the Match athlete award to support women-owned small businesses in the winner’s homeland with grant funding. Totalling $500,000 across the tournament’s 64 matches, the activation boosted the brand by linking sporting success with the empowerment of women worldwide.

Snapchat also ran a major activation across digital channels, creating a new AR experience with the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) as well as producing content and creative tools to help bring fans closer to the team.

Activations in women’s football will continue to prove attractive to brands that wish to align themselves to a progressive sport that has such widespread appeal. With players and teams more accessible than in the men’s game, while also being less costly, I expect to see these campaigns becoming increasingly creative while adding great value to brands. At Tally, we have found that digital activations enable fans to engage with their favourite teams and players both outside of and during matchdays in fresh and innovative ways, in turn providing stakeholders with valuable insights into that audience.

While the USWNT licks its wounds and aims at the World Cup in 2027 – potentially as host – across Europe, countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway will be aiming to be crowned as champions of Europe in two years’ time. There’s no better time for brands to associate themselves with the continent’s new, potential superstar generation.?