Women’s sport is no longer just a values-driven play – it’s delivering real business returns. In fact, 86% of sponsors we spoke to reported that their investments in women’s sport met or exceeded ROI expectations1. While value alignment and meaningful impact remain important, the next phase of growth demands more. It’s not just about values – it’s about scaling visibility, building commercial confidence, and translating momentum into measurable outcomes.
The Women’s Sport Trust’s latest commercial report, The Buck Stops Here, explores how forward-thinking brands are making smarter sponsorship decisions, activating with impact, and shows where the industry must evolve to sustain this trajectory.1 But as we drive growth, there’s a balance to strike. We must ensure that commercial success never comes at the expense of the very values that made women’s sport valuable in the first place.
And the data shows this is possible.
A Proven Commercial Driver
Over the past few years, WST’s research has highlighted the commercial power of women’s sport by turning once-unknown insights into common knowledge. We’ve shown it drives brand awareness, affinity, and consideration, and that consumers are more likely to support companies who sponsor it. 2
Fans of women’s sport are also purpose-driven – they back brands that walk the talk on social responsibility. That’s why 77% of sponsors we spoke to said they invest to showcase their CSR values, while 68% cited brand image enhancement as a key motivator. 1 In this space, doing good and doing well aren’t at odds – they fuel each other.
It’s Time to Rethink How We Define Value
Our recent report highlighted the need to communicate value more effectively, but this comes with a key challenge: aligning how we measure value with what we truly value. Traditional ROI models often miss the mark, especially in women’s sport. This is where rights holders play a pivotal role, not just in attracting sponsors, but in helping them succeed.
The most proactive rights holders are creating engaging content, building diverse and accessible fanbases, and using athlete influence to extend reach. The results speak for themselves. Our 2024 End of Year Visibility3 report revealed:
- WTA Tour: 71 million YouTube views
- WNBA: 361 million TikTok views and 90 million Instagram engagements
- Chelsea WFC: 167 million TikTok views in under a year – a case study in targeted, high-impact content
Athletes Are Driving Fan Loyalty and Brand Impact
Athletes are central to this engagement. WST’s research shows 35% of Instagram interactions across the BWSL came from player accounts, versus 27% in the Premier League. Globally, female athletes generated 61% of TikTok views among Sport Pro’s “world’s 50 most marketable athletes”. 3
Fans aren’t just watching – they’re engaging, they’re loyal. And that’s exactly the kind of impact brands want.
Smarter Metrics for Smarter Investment
This surge in visibility is creating market demand, while the compelling storytelling of athletes is forging emotional connections that drive brand loyalty. But as the industry evolves and a new generation of digital-native fans emerge, we face a critical challenge: developing the right data and performance metrics to capture the full value of investment in women’s sport and to ensure we reach those lofty income predictions in a way that’s both real and sustainable.
Shifting the Conversation: From Exposure to Impact
The traditional sponsorship model undervalues women’s sport by over-indexing on TV reach and media value, both metrics where women’s sport is still catching up. To unlock true ROI, we need a broader, more nuanced approach – one that tracks engagement, sentiment, and sustainable growth. This doesn’t just prove the commercial case for women’s sport, it preserves its integrity and fuels its continued rise.
Rethinking What Success Looks Like
Getting this right means shifting the conversation from “how many people saw my logo?” to “how did my sponsorship drive real change and business impact?” It’s about moving from passive exposure to active engagement – where sponsorships don’t just show up, they show results. And women’s sport is perfectly positioned to lead this shift.
What does this look like in practice?
It’s about measuring customer retention over TV reach, valuing emotional connection over simple awareness, and focusing on fan engagement rather than empty impression counts. It’s also about measuring what we really value, like cultural and social impact, and the long-term sustainability of sport. That means understanding the objectives of all stakeholders, and evaluating broader outcomes such as perception shifts, community growth, the development of future talent pathways, and the cultivation of future fanbases.
If we can define what we value first, and then begin to measure what truly matters, we don’t just validate the commercial case – we create the foundation for continued and increased investment. It’s how we build a sustainable, values-driven industry, where growth and integrity go hand in hand. Smarter measurement ensures that success isn’t just about short-term gains, but about reinforcing the purpose and impact that makes women’s sport such a powerful force.
Across the sports industry, many agree: it’s time to stop chasing vanity metrics and start redefining success. That starts with revisiting what we value and then aligning how we measure it. Because when we focus on what truly matters, women’s sport doesn’t just compete – it leads.
We’d love to hear your thoughts. Join our LinkedIn conversation and share your perspective here – your insight helps shape the future of the industry.
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