A long-overdue cultural shift is reshaping the world of sports. Women’s sports are breaking attendance records, building passionate fanbases, and reshaping the media ecosystem. For marketers, this is a strategic imperative. In 2024, ad spend on women’s sports rose by 139% year-on-year, reaching $244.4 million. That’s a fundamental recalibration of how brands think about reach, engagement, and cultural relevance. Women’s sports are no longer a footnote in marketing plans; they’re fast becoming the headline act.
From Underdog to Primetime
Women’s sports are commanding serious attention like never before. The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament drew nearly 10 million viewers for its final. In the UK, Arsenal Women outdrew ten Premier League men’s clubs in average attendance. Athletes like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Beth Mead aren’t just making headlines, they’re driving brand momentum.
This isn’t about checking a representation box. It’s about recognising where attention is going and meeting it with purpose, investment, and intent.
Smarter Investment, Not Just Support
We’ve moved beyond the days when advertising in women’s sports was seen as a symbolic gesture. Today, it’s a smart, strategic investment delivering real returns.
For example, take Ally’s 50/50 media commitment to equal sports coverage, or Nike’s “Dream Crazier” campaign, which didn’t just celebrate women, but challenged long-held bias. These campaigns worked because they didn’t just say the right things – they showed up consistently, creatively, and at scale.
When brands treat women’s sports as core to their strategy and not supplemental, they unlock deeper engagement and long-term value.
Meeting Fans Where They Are
Today’s sports audiences are digital-first and platform-agnostic. Whether it’s watching highlights on TikTok, following athletes on Instagram, or engaging live via streaming platforms, the fan journey is multi-channel and always on.
This shift calls for a more dynamic media strategy. Formats like shoppable ads, QR-driven creative, and event-triggered personalisation aren’t gimmicks; they’re redefining what a sports ad can deliver. In 2024, QR-driven ad impressions tripled and engagement rates more than doubled. At the same time, improved access to audience data is making it easier to tailor messaging and connect with fans on the platforms and moments that matter most.
Women’s sports are perfectly positioned to take advantage of this shift. With passionate communities and more agile brand partnerships, they offer a more powerful arena for experimentation, real-time engagement, and measurable impact.
Emotion Moves People, Data Moves Budgets
Why are audiences showing up and tuning in? Because the narratives in women’s sports are rich, powerful, and deeply authentic. They’re stories of persistence, reinvention, and breaking barriers, resonating across generations and demographics. For brands, this is a chance to show up meaningfully, not just visibly.
But authenticity alone isn’t enough. Advertisers also need to connect these moments to measurable performance. The interactive and dynamic creative formats possible on CTV are turning attention into action. According to Innovid data, interactive CTV ads drive an average of 71 more seconds of engagement compared to standard pre-roll. This is where brand purpose meets media performance, and advertisers no longer have to choose between the two.
The Cultural Moment is Now, Longevity Matters More
There’s no denying the cultural tailwind behind women’s sports today. However, capitalising on it requires more than showing up in the moment. It demands meaningful investment, the right creative, and technology that meets fans where they are. The real difference lies in long-term commitment; treating women’s sports not as a trend, but as a core part of the media strategy. Brands that move with consistency and intent won’t just ride a cultural wave, they’ll unlock lasting equity and a performance edge that lasts.
Megan Garnett Coyle is VP of Comms, Innovid & Mediaocean.
