The "untapped opportunity" of women's sport needs to become a reality
As the UEFA Women’s Euros is in full flow we’re seeing everything from adverts to prime time media coverage featuring our fearless Lionesses as they take on the task of bringing football home. I am thrilled to see the talented women of England football feature on our TV screens, front pages and news feeds. And with a spike in exposure also comes a spike in conversation about the potential of women’s sport as an investment opportunity.
New research has shown that investing in Women’s sport can actually be a smarter and more targeted opportunity with almost half of global sports fans aged 18 to 24 stating they preferred watching women’s sport over men’s. The study from The Sports Consultancy (TSC) and accountancy and business advisory firm BDO also stated that the women’s sport landscape offers greater opportunity for innovation with new formats alongside a bigger whitespace for brands to define their role and message.
Sadly, this ‘untapped opportunity’ feels like groundhog day for me. In fact, I said as much back in 2016. For too long this has been the case but we don’t seem to have moved the needle. One of the main reasons for this in my mind is the continual comparison to the men’s game, especially when it comes to football. It’s not an apples for apples comparison. While the rules of the game might be the same, the audience opportunity is totally different and as a result what brands can do, and who they can reach, means it’s not a comparable opportunity. Added to this, the investment required matched with the potential returns presents a far more commercially viable option.
Year after year, tournament after tournament data shows up to prove that investing in women’s sport presents rich and unique opportunities but the money continues to flow into the men’s’ Game with women’s teams and tournaments often sold as a bolt on. Now don’t get me wrong. Having worked in Sports and Entertainment for over 15 years I am in no way diminishing the powerful impact of brand partnerships with men’s football tournaments, teams and talent around the world. But why do we have to compare the women’s’ game to the men’s? Yes the reach is lower, but so largely is the investment required. And with that investment comes a far greater opportunity to truly shape not only a campaign but a sport and a generation.
As the women’s Euros continues I am really looking forward to watching the Lionesses progress, but just as important, I am also going to be looking closely at the data that come out of the tournament. The facts that show the engagement level with younger and diverse audiences. The figures that show how those that did invest saw great returns, and those that didn’t need to get on board fast. The opportunity is there…it has been for a while…and I hope to be able to part of showing brands that they can make this opportunity a reality.
Written by Steph McDonald, Director, Client Experience.
