Thematic Intelligence: Women in Sport 2024

Thematic Intelligence: Women in Sport 2024

Summary

An analysis of the Women in Sport Sector provides a detailed, yet easy to follow overview of the women in sport sector, including a look at the key leaders in the industry and a detailed analysis of the women in sport value chain.

Female sport has been pushed to the sidelines. Historically, sexist and discriminatory attitudes towards female participation have stunted the growth of women’s sports, with the male variety of almost every kind of sport having a greater profile and financial power. While certain sports have made significant strides in levelling the playing field, there remains much work to be done.

Women’s sport is marketed significantly less than men’s sport. An issue that has faced women’s sports for decades is its lack of marketing in comparison to popular and already-established men’s sports. Because men’s sport has been around for longer, fanbases have grown significantly, - and with large groups of fans comes more focused marketing. Women’s sport has never received the same amount of promotion because it simply does not attract as many fans. However, 78% of sports consumers believe that female athletes should receive the same coverage as men.

Sexism is still rife among sports fans. While interest in women’s sport has increased dramatically in recent years, there still exists a significant amount of sexism toward female athletes. Online trolling and abuse are prominent, and while this behaviour can be seen as emblematic of social media, it is still harmful to the athletes and appears to happen at a disproportionate rate compared to male athletes.

Other biological factors affect female sport. Of great concern to many female athletes is childbirth, and how starting a family can impact a female athlete’s career. In Spain, many soccer, basketball, and handball teams have clauses inserted into players’ contracts stating that they cannot get pregnant and that the club reserves the right to terminate the contract if they do. Additionally, other athletes have expressed their frustration at how they have been treated by sponsorship partners and sporting organizations following childbirth.

Sickening scandals have plagued women's sport. Women’s sport has unfortunately been embroiled in multiple sexual abuse scandals in the last decade, including the US gymnastics sex abuse scandal and the incident involving Luis Rubiales and Jenni Hermoso at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final in 2023. The reality is that men’s sport does not face these same kinds of issues and that some sporting federations have serious issues in terms of enabling and covering up this kind of behaviour.

The next few years are pivotal for women's sport. Women’s sport is at a critical juncture, as it tries to secure a more even footing with its male counterparts. While the amount of money currently being earned by female athletes has never been higher, it still lags significantly behind that of men. Closing the gap will require women’s sports to keep growing in popularity, which can only happen by making them accessible to a wider audience. This move has worked well for women’s soccer, with many of the biggest tournaments and leagues being broadcast on free-to-air platforms, increasing their visibility among sports fans.

Scope

• This report provides an overview of women in the sports sector, including the key leaders, a look at some of key trends, an analysis of the industry in terms of market size and growth forecasts, and also a in-depth analysis of the women in sport value chain and its key players.

• For those wanting an in-depth analysis of the women in sport sector, in the sense of both business and popularity.