As an industry, the women’s side of traditionally male dominated sports has been on the rise in recent years. In the UK especially, major events such as the football World Cup in 2023 and the Six Nations in 2024 have boosted both audience numbers and sponsorship, whilst Paris 2024 becoming the first Olympic Games to achieve full gender parity has helped boost female athletes' profiles and reputation.
With a packed calendar of events stretching throughout the year, it's safe to predict further growth in 2025.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has already set out his vision for the capital's role in that growth, saying that London will be the "undisputed global capital for women's sport in 2025" as it gears up to host the Rugby World Cup in August/September (for which 220,000 tickets have already been sold), as well as major events in cricket and football, illustrating not only the growing appetite for women’s sports but also the groundswell of support.
The US has seen strong growth too. The rapid rise of women’s football in the UK has been mirrored by basketball stateside. Last year, ESPN’s coverage of women’s college basketball averaged 2.2 million viewers, a 121% increase on 2023’s numbers.
However, there is still room for more growth!
2024 has proved the potential and, with a packed calendar of women’s events in 2025, this year can further move towards realising that potential - and the opportunity for podcasting to play a role in that growth is huge.
Interest in women’s sport is largely driven by stories and personalities. Whereas in the men’s game superstars have emerged from the sport’s popularity, the emergence of athletes such as Ilona Maher (Rugby Union) and Angel Reese (WNBA) have helped drive the growth of their respective sports themselves. Podcasting as a medium is a great way for telling stories and revealing personalities, which puts it in a great place for athletes to build personal brands and drive the sport forward.
As with any significant growth, there are also opportunities. The commercial value of podcasting has been growing year on year for some time, and coupled with the forecasts for commercial interest in women’s sport in 2025 ,there are huge prizes to be won for those who invest in the correct content.
At Sport Social Podcast Network, we explore that opportunity from both a content and commercial viewpoint and look at what can be achieved in the year ahead.
Women’s sport offers Rights Holders the perfect opportunity to not only deepen engagement with their existing fanbase, but also attract new ones.
The excitement of live events and competition is always going to be the key driver for bringing in new fans to sport but outside of that, using podcasting as a tool to highlight the personalities of the athletes can connect sports with popular culture and help attract new audiences. It can be particularly effective when attracting new, younger followers to women’s sport.
The 'Gen Z' generation has shown a passion for authenticity, which provides a real opportunity for female stars to build their profile and attract new fans.
Here, the infancy of the sports is the advantage. Within the Premier League, for example, there is often, perceived rules about what can and can’t be done in a media space. The accepted approach to club media is often safe, sanitised, and can lack vital authenticity. However, in the Women's Super League (WSL), those conventions are still evolving, allowing for bolder content, more honest storytelling, and deeper fan engagement.
For many Rights Holders, they must decide how they wish to talk to these audiences. For those who manage both men’s and women’s teams there is much to be said for the “One Club” approach, giving male and female athletes equal prominence, in the same fashion, across the same channels. This can help to migrate your audience for the male sport but maybe that doesn’t take full advantage of the potential audiences.
In 2024, the Women’s Sport Trust reported that out of 15.1 million WSL viewers, only 6.5 million also watched the Premier League. This challenges the assumption that fans of women’s football automatically follow the men’s game.
In other digital media, female athletes outperform men. According to The Female Athlete Project, posts from sportswomen on social media platforms, on average, drive TWICE the engagement levels and there is no reason we shouldn’t see the same results in podcasting – we just need to get the content right.
In the Premier League, Chelsea Women have realised the potential for using podcast content to drive engagement across such channels. Their dedicated women’s team podcast distributes content across multiple forms of owned media including TikTok, contributing to its audience and helping to establish it as the 5th most viewed official account in English football (across both the men’s and women’s game).
There is a huge opportunity here for Rights Holders. To take full advantage they need to consider not only what stories they want to tell but how they want to tell them in order to unlock new fanbases, inspire future sports stars and unlock latent revenue streams.
The numbers around commercial growth of women’s sport speak for themselves. The Sports Industry Report 2025 illustrates the speed of growth with Women’s sport poised to outpace the rest of the industry over the next ten years. They project global revenue of $23billion in 2033 compared to $1billion in 2023. 
The value is driven by not only growing and super engaged audiences, but by the demand from fans to see brands actively engaging with and supporting women’s sport. The recent Sports Industry Report found that 72% of sports fans believe that ‘sponsoring women’s sport reflects well on sponsor brands.'
Sponsoring women’s sport content isn’t just the “right” thing to do, however, it can also be a powerful strategic and impactful decision.
Recent research from Nielsen discovered that women's sports are viewed as more inspiring, progressive, and clean compared to men's sports, and brands would certainly want to be associated with that image!
Audiences are demonstrating a clear preference for brands sponsoring women's sports. The Nielsen report found that 84% of general sports fans have an interest in women's sports, presenting brands with a unique chance to improve their brand perception and connect with new audiences. This preference was demonstrated by TikTok's partnership with the Women’s Six Nations, which was built on a shared commitment to equality and inclusion.
A significant portion of the public sees female athletes as role models, making them an ideal choice for brand endorsements and sponsorships that resonate with audiences on a deeper level. Collaborating with athletes has emerged as a powerful avenue for brands, given their strong influence and reliability.
Brands now have the chance to align themselves with a growing movement that champions representation, equality, and commercial success. Supporting women’s sports is no longer just an act of goodwill—it’s a strategic investment that fosters audience engagement and drives long-term brand loyalty. As consumer expectations evolve, companies that position themselves as advocates for this transformation will benefit from stronger brand affinity and market presence.
Alongside podcasting's proven ability to deliver sponsor messages through trusted voices, brands have the opportunity to sponsor women's sport and female voices through this medium. Brands can become part of a much-needed change, helping to create a more equitable and inclusive sporting world. This strategy offers a tangible way for brands to demonstrate their commitment to these values, all while tapping into a rapidly growing and engaged audience.
Alicia Jewel, Director of Media Investment at Tinuiti, said:
"Brands investing in women's sports are already benefiting from the association. Over a third of people in Europe have noticed an improvement in sponsorship for women's sports in the past five years. Brands such as Mastercard and Visa have made exclusive sponsorships in the women's game, contributing to the ongoing rise and recognition of women's sport.
"Crucially, women's sport sponsorship is currently delivering superior returns on investment. This is exemplified by the Women's EHF EURO 2022, which enjoyed coverage in over 80 countries and particularly strong viewership in Scandinavia. Women's sport offers an exceptional opportunity for brands to secure a partnership that delivers not only a strong return on investment but also advances their corporate social responsibility by promoting gender equity and inclusion.
