Women’s Premier League: A New Dawn for Women’s Sports and Sponsorships?

While cricket is considered nothing short of a religion in India, this devotion has primarily been towards men’s versions of the sport. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announcing the introduction of a Women’s Indian Premier League last year – 16 years after the (men’s) Indian Premier League – was seen as a significant development for women’s cricket, and rightly so. The same year saw the announcement being made of equal match fees for men and women players – steps such as these marked massive strides towards gender parity in sports in the country. However, all of this is still in the nascent stage. For example, for central contracts and revenue sharing, a glaring gap exists in terms of exposure as well as finances. Hopefully, these matters will be ironed out soon.

But why do these disparities exist in the first place? Because women's cricket was largely overlooked for several years, with few opportunities for women to showcase their skills and compete at the highest level. However, this underwent a noticeable change with the introduction of the Women's T20 Challenge in 2018, which has emerged as a major platform for women's cricket.?

The 2020 edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge saw a record-breaking 105 million unique viewers and logged 5.3 billion minutes of viewership in India alone. This may sound modest as compared to the 426 million viewers in the men’s IPL 2022, but when we compare this with the first season views of the men’s IPL (102 million, to be exact), it looks like the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is on the right track.

The auction that kicked off on 13 February saw 87 players sold for an impressive Rs 59.5 crore. Royal Challengers Bangalore bagged the most expensive buy - Smriti Mandhana for Rs 3.40 crore. Already named the second largest cricket league in the world after the IPL, the WPL is likely to set unprecedented records in women’s sports.

The brand factor

In recent years, as the popularity and visibility of women's sports have grown, there has been a substantial impact on consumer marketing. Women’s sports have provided an opportunity for brands to target women as consumers and develop marketing campaigns that specifically target women who are interested in sports. Sponsorship deals have also grown, with female sports personalities attracting major brands who are looking align with successful women players to be role models for the niche target consumers. For example, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) has signed sponsorship deals with Nike, AT&T, and Deloitte.

With recent developments such as PUMA India naming Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur as its brand ambassador, the WPL might seem all poised to take sponsorship deals for sportswomen further. Who’s to say that we wouldn’t soon be witnessing WPL players endorsing brands like Apple, RiteBite Max Protein, Noise or BMW, for that matter? Needless to say, this attention from renowned brands will also positively impact the tournament’s popularity among viewers at a global level.??

Women's sports leagues: The impact

Besides the marketing implications, women's sports leagues have a significant impact on society at large, especially in terms of promoting gender equality, focusing on diversity and inclusion (with the presence of players from all over the world), and empowering women.

Such leagues are crucial to promoting women’s sports and expanding their reach. A perfect example here is Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), which has played a pivotal role in enhancing the prominence and reach of women's cricket. The 2021 edition went on to break previous viewership records with 5.36 million tuning in. In a country where 9 out of 10 people watch cricket, there is no limit to what the WPL can achieve.

Talking about reach, the WPL might also influence viewership – the IPLomania study conducted by Hansa Research found that a whopping 80% of viewers of the IPL are male. As women cricketers take to the pitch with this new league, an increase in the number of female viewers, especially teens and young adults is highly anticipated. This will have dual-pronged benefits: 1) As young women feel represented in sports, we can expect the rise of a whole new talent pool, not just in women’s cricket but in sports across the board. 2) This new viewership opens a whole new, lucrative audience for brands, as mentioned earlier. In India alone, there are 66.2 crore women - the sheer magnitude of the numbers is reason enough for brands to build marketing campaigns designed for female audiences of the WPL.?

The Women's IPL is more than just a cricket league. It is a platform that promotes gender equality and empowers women in a male-dominated sport. Is this a watershed moment for women’s cricket, and women’s sports at large? Of course! However, will the WPL do for women’s cricket what the IPL was able to do for the men’s version? Although this remains to be seen, for the success of the WPL, a lot will also depend on the branding and marketing of the league to ensure that it resonates with the larger audience. One thing is certain, though – that the tournament is already increasing visibility for players amid brands. If the WPL is given the same treatment, respect, and investment as the IPL, it is just a matter of time before it transforms into a rewarding revenue stream for not just brands, but the BCCI too.???