FROMMOMENT TO MAINSTREAM:
WHAT CONSUMERS IN 7 COUNTRIES REALLY
THINK ABOUT WOMEN’S SPORTS
MAY 2024

BROUGHT TO YOU BYTABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 3
Summary of findings ................................................................................................................ 4Country-specific highlights ................................................................................................... 7
Data deep dive ............................................................................................................................. 15
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 40
Methodology and demographics ................................................................................................................................. 42
References .................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
About Parity & SurveyMonkey ......................................................................................................................................... 43

Parity is a sports marketing and sponsorshipplatform focused on professional womenathletes. Our mission is to close the genderincome and opportunity gap in pro sports.

SurveyMonkey is a global leader in online
surveys and forms that empowers people with
the insights they need to make decisions withspeed and confidence.

“Everyone’s talking moment andmomentum - I don’t like either of
those words but it’s outstanding
what’s happening in women’s
sports.”Cathy Englebert, Commissioner,
WNBA, overheard at the 2024
CAA World Congress of Sports“Women’s sports ishaving a moment that itshould have always had.”
Serena Williams, Tennis
GOAT 1“This isn’t a moment in time.
It’s a movement.”
Susie Piotrkowski, VP
Women’s Sports Programming,
ESPN and espnW 2Whether you consider it a moment, a movement, momentum, or plain outstanding, the signs are clear: women’s
sports are experiencing a surge of attention right now, and not just from the most ardent fans. For those who
support women’s sports, these are exciting times, but they raise a litany of pressing questions: how pervasive
is women’s sports fandom in 2024? Is the phenomenon regional or international? Who’s tuning in more, men or
women, and why? How influential are women athletes and what opportunities might this create for brands?

““

INTRODUCTION

To satisfy our curiosity we partnered with SurveyMonkey, the leading online survey platform, to field what may be
the largest international study of women’s sports fans conducted to date. Between March 28 - April 10 2024 morethan 14,000 people from seven countries shared their thoughts on women’s sports, equality at the Olympics andParalympics, the influence of female athletes, and much more.

3

SUMMARY OF FINDINGSThe pro sports playing field is far from even
Roughly two-thirds (64%) say men have more opportunities
in professional sports than women. The same percentage(64%) believe there is not enough media coverage ofprofessional women’s sports, and 53% say brands are notinvesting enough in women’s sports.

7 out of 10 people now watch women’s sports
If the argument that “no one watches women’s sports”
wasn’t already dead, it is now. Almost three-quarters (73%)
say they watch women’s sports at least a few times ayear – not too far behind the percentage who watch men’s
sports with the same frequency (81%).

More men watch women’s sports frequently
If you thought women’s sports were largely for female
fans, think again. A relatively even 75% of men and 71% of
women say they watch women’s sports at least a few times
a year. Meanwhile, 23% of men watch women’s sports
weekly or more frequently, compared with 15% of women.

5Women’s sports are gaining momentum among fans
Over half (54%) of women’s sports fans3 only began watching within
the last three years. Top reasons to watch are a desire to support
women (41%), the quality of play (33%), and an interest in following
individual women athletes (32%). Meanwhile, 28% say they arewatching more women’s sports this year compared to last year,
largely due to personal interest and the quality/ enjoyment factor.

Paris 2024 will set a key gender equity milestone - andmost people have no idea
83% say it’s important to have equal gender representation at the
Olympics and Paralympics - but only 17% of those surveyed werepreviously aware that Paris 2024 will be the first Olympic Games tofeature the same number of male and female athletes competing forglory.

Women athletes hold significantly more sway than othertypes of influencers
88% regard pro women athletes as impactful role models for young
women. Women’s sports fans are 2.8 times more likely to purchasea product recommended by a woman athlete rather than by anothertype of influencer. And 32% of all women’s sports fans (36% offemale women’s sports fans) say they are more likely to purchaseproducts from a brand that supports women’s sports or partners
with female athletes.

6

COUNTRY-SPECIFIC HIGHLIGHTSUNITED STATES (5,408 respondents)• Despite 85% of Americans saying that equal gender representation
is important at the Olympics and Paralympics, only 15% of Americans
were previously aware that Paris 2024 will be the first Olympic Games
with an equal number of male and female athletes.
• Half of all Americans say brands aren’t investing enough in women’s
sports, but there’s a 14 percentage point gap between women (57%)
and men (43%) who believe this.
• Roughly the same percentage of men (73%) and women (70%) watch
women’s sports at least a few times a year. But men are more likely totune in frequently: 23% of US men watch women’s sports weekly or
more often, while just 15% of US women say the same.
• Star power is a key driver in the US. 36% of American women’s
sports fans watch in order to follow individual athletes - the highest
percentage of any country.
• Basketball is by far the most popular women’s sport to watch in the US- unlike every other country where football/ soccer and tennis occupy
the top two spots. Volleyball, tennis, soccer, softball/ baseball and golfround out the US top 6, with an honorable mention for gymnastics.
• 38% of American fans of women’s sports say they are more likely topurchase products from a brand that supports women’s sports orpartners with female athletes. This is the highest percentage of any
country - and it’s even higher for female fans of women’s sports (44%).

8

UNITED KINGDOM (1,972 respondents)• Professional women’s sports are surging in the UK, where
36% of women’s sports fans say they’re watching morethis year than last - the highest of any country surveyed.
60% of women’s sports fans have begun watching in thelast 3 years, and increased media coverage is the top
reason why, cited by 38%.
• 58% in the UK say professional women’s sports don’t
get enough media coverage, including 68% of womencompared to 47% of men - the second biggest genderdifference on this question. UK men rank lowest of anygroup on this question.
• The UK has the highest percentage of people (87%)
who say it’s important for the Olympics and Paralympics
to have equal gender representation. Still, only 18%
are aware that Paris 2024 will be the first ever Olympic
Games in which equal numbers of women and men
athletes compete.
• When asked what makes them want to watch women’s
sports, 42% in the UK say it’s to support women, 33% cite
the quality of play, and 28% watch because of differencesin the way the sport is played compared to the men.
• Only 23% of UK women’s sports fans have bought
women’s sports merchandise compared to 42% of UK
men’s sports fans who’ve bought men’s sports merch.
9

AUSTRALIA (1,251 respondents)• Australian men top the international charts for watching women’s
sports. 82% of Aussie men say they watch women’s sports at least a
few times a year and 28% say they watch women’s sports weekly or
more frequently. Both are the highest scores for the seven countries inwhich we surveyed, and outrank Australian women’s answers.
• 78% of Aussie women watch women’s sports at least a few times
a year, the highest of any of the women’s scores across countries,
though only 15% watch weekly or more frequently.
• Like their UK counterparts, Australians rank cricket third in their listof top women’s sports followed. Aussies are the only nationality toinclude netball and Australian Rules Football in their top 9.
• 51% of Australians say brands aren’t investing enough in women’s
sports, including 59% of women and 44% of men - the second biggest
gender difference on this question.
• Women’s sports fandom is gaining momentum in Australia. 34% ofAustralian women’s sports fans say they are watching more women’s
sports this year than last year - the second highest score acrosscountries.

10

CANADA (1,743 respondents)• 65% of Canadians say professional women’s sports don’t
get enough media coverage, including 77% of womenvs 55% of men - the biggest gender difference on thisquestion.
• 56% of Canadians say brands aren’t investing enough inwomen’s sports, including 64% of women vs 48% of men again, the biggest difference by gender on this question.
• Canada is the only country to list ice hockey in its top 5
women’s sports watched or followed, and the only place
where curling gets an honorable mention.
• 46% of Canadian women’s sports fans tune in because
they want to support women; 37% watch because of thequality of play; and 34% because of interest in individual
athletes.
• 31% of Canadians and 35% of Canadian women’s sports
fans are more likely to purchase from brands that support
women’s sports and women athletes.
• Women’s sports fans in Canada are 2.7 times more likely
to purchase a product recommended by a woman athlete
rather than by another type of influencer.

11

FRANCE (1,517 respondents)• In France we saw the highest percentage of people,
66%, say brands aren’t investing enough in women’s
sports today. French women (68%) and men (65%)
both rank higher than their peers in any othercountry.
• Awareness that the Paris Summer Olympics will giveequal competing opportunities to men and women ishighest in France, but still at only 25%. Meanwhile,
81% in France believe gender equity is important at
the Olympics and Paralympics.
• France is the only country we surveyed in which
handball ranks in the top 5 women’s sports towatch.
• 24% of French women’s sports fans say they’rewatching more this year vs. last year. For thosewatching more, the biggest driver is increased
media coverage of women’s sports (40%).
• The top reasons why French people watch women’s
sports are the quality of play (37%), a desire to
support women (36%), and because of differencesin how women’s sports are played relative to men’s
sports (33%).

12

GERMANY (1,290 respondents)• Only 14% of Germans are aware that the Paris Summer Olympics
is the first to offer equal places to male and female athletes - thelowest awareness of any country. Meanwhile, 74% say equal gender
representation at the Olympics and Paralympics is important.
• Germans are the only nationality to proactively mention biathlon
as one of their top women’s sports to watch. Germans also rank
athletics/ track and field fifth, which is higher than any othercountry.
• The top three reasons German fans of women’s sports watch
are the quality of play (39%), because they find women’s sports
exciting (33%), and because they want to support women (30%).
• German sports fans appear less likely than fans in other countries tobuy sports merchandise. Only 19% of German women’s sports fansand 32% of German men’s sports fans have bought merchandise in
the last three years - both being the lowest of any country.
• German women’s sports fans are 4.9x more likely to purchase a
product promoted by a professional women athlete than by anyother type of influencer - the largest multiplier effect seen in any
country.

13

SPAIN (1,193 respondents)• Spaniards believe more strongly than any other nationalitythat it’s important for girls to play sports growing up, with
96% saying it’s important including 82% who say ‘very
important’.
• 79% of Spanish women and 63% of Spanish men say
professional women’s sports don’t get enough media
coverage - placing Spain second only to France.
• 26% of Spanish men watch women’s sports at least weekly- higher than Spanish women (16%) and second only toAustralian men, 28% of whom watch women’s sports
weekly or more frequently.
• About three-quarters (76%) of Spanish women’s sports
fans are relative newcomers who say they’ve been
watching women’s sports for three years or less - by far
the highest percentage of anywhere we surveyed. Since
football is the most watched women’s sport in Spain,
recent FIFA World Cup success seems a likely driver.
• 48% of Spanish women’s sports fans say they arewatching more women’s sports thanks to increased media
coverage - a significantly higher proportion than any othercountry.

14

DATA DEEP DIVE

PROFESSIONAL SPORTS:
A VITAL, BUT UNEVEN, PLAYING FIELD FOR WOMEN
We began our survey by gauging general attitudes toward women’s participation in sports. 92% agree it’s important for girls
to play sports growing up, with 61% deeming it ‘very important.’ Spaniards are the most emphatic in their response, with 82%
considering it ‘very important’ for girls to play sports growing up. The benefits are well documented: prior research by Ernst &Young and ESPNw shows that 94% of female C-suite executives played sports when they were younger4 and Women’s Sports
Foundation research reinforces the fact that playing sports boosts girls’ and women’s confidence and self-esteem5.
How important do you think it is for girls to play sports growing up?

92%

91%

93%

94%

95%

61%

53%

69%

73%

71%

24%

21%

24%

90%
63%

96%

94%

82%

68%

37%
30%

27%

26%
14%

All Countries

US

UK

Australia

Very Important

CanadaGermany

Spain

FranceSomewhat Important

16

Meanwhile, women athletes are generally held in high regard across all of the countries where we surveyed. 88% said thatwomen athletes are ‘highly’ or ‘somewhat’ impactful as role models for young women, with over half (54%) seeing them as‘highly impactful.’

How impactful do you think professional women athletes are as role models for young women?

88%
54%

91%

92%

92%

94%

59%

59%

63%

68%

81%
39%

74%

82%
42%

32%

34%

All Countries

32%

33%

US

UK

29%

Australia

Highly impactful

42%

42%

40%

Germany

Spain

France26%

CanadaSomewhat impactful17Despite the positivity and influence of women in sports, most people say opportunities and media coverage are lacking.
64% across all countries say men have more opportunities than women in professional sports, and the same percentage saythat women’s sports don’t get enough media coverage. When we look at responses to media coverage by gender we see
significant variance across countries, with 75% of French men believing there’s a dearth of coverage for women’s sports. By
contrast, only 47% of British blokes feel the same. Attitudes by gender differ most in Canada, where we see a 22 percentage
point delta between women (77%) and men (55%), and second most in the UK where the percentage point difference is 21%(with 68% of women saying there’s not enough media coverage).

Who has more opportunities in professional sports: men or women?
ALL COUNTRIES

64%

32%

2%

US

65%

32%

2%

UK

64%

32%

2%

AUSTRALIA

63%

32%

3%

27%

2%

61%

33%

3%

SPAIN

60%

35%

3%

FRANCE

60%

36%

2%

CANADAGERMANYMen have more opportunities than
women

70%

Men and women have the same
number of opportunities

Women have more
opportunities than men

18

Do you think women’s professional sports are given too much coverage, not enoughcoverage, or the right amount of coverage by the media?

ALL COUNTRIES

64%

28%

6%

US

62%

31%

5%

UK

58%

32%

9%

AUSTRALIA

57%

33%

8%

CANADA

65%

GERMANY64%

27%

28% 4%
70%

SPAIN

22%
78%

FRANCENot enoughThe right amount6%

6%

16% 3%

Too much19All Countries

Canada

Men

Women

All

Germany

Spain

78%

82%

75%

70%

79%

63%

64%

16%

Australia

70%

65%
55%

UK

59% 11%

77%

22%
67%
57%

49%

58%
47%

US

18%

68%

21%

62%

71%

18%
53%

73%
64%

56%

17%

7%

Percentage who say professional women’s sports don’t get enough media coverage

FranceGender Delta

20

We also asked for opinions on the level of brand investment in women’s sports compared to men’s sports. 50% or more in
every country believe that brands are not spending enough in women’s sports, led by the French (66%) on theeve of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. We saw some differences by gender, with 59% of women and 47% of men saying
brands do not spend enough today. The difference by gender is the largest in Canada (16 percentage point delta), Australia(15 percentage points) and the US (14 percentage points) and narrowest in France (only 3 percentage points) and Spain (6percentage points).
Our survey respondents do have a point. 2023 Deloitte Research6 projected that professional women’s sports will generate$1.28B in revenue in 2024, up ‘at least’ 300% compared to Deloitte’s study three years ago. That said, the global sports
industry market is currently sized at $159B by Two Circles7, meaning that pro women’s sports account for less than
1% of all revenue. Given the single largest contributor in the Deloitte study is commercial sponsorship, now is the time forbrands to step up.

All Countries

US

Australia

CanadaGermany

Men

Women

All

Gender Delta

66%

68%

65%

3%
Spain

59%

63%

6%

UK

57%

53%

59%

10%
49%

56%

64%

16%
48%

51%

59%

15%
44%

50%

56%

44% 12%

50%

57%

14%
43%

59%

53%

47%

12%

Percentage who say brands are not investing enough in women’s sports compared to men’s sports

France21

THE PARIS SUMMER OLYMPICS’ BEST-KEPT SECRET? GENDER PARITY.
The Paris Summer Olympics are set to make history by achieving full gender parity on the field of play for the first time, withequal numbers of women and men athletes competing. In a year where women’s sports fans are showing up in record numbers(both in person and through media viewership), this has the potential to delight sports fans everywhere – if only they knew.

In fact, only 17% across all seven countries say that prior to our survey, they were aware that Paris is set
to be the first-ever gender-equal Olympics.
Scores range from a high of 25% in host nation France to a lowly 14% in neighboring Germany. Meanwhile, 83% say equal
gender representation is important at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, spiking at 87% in the UK and 85% in the US andCanada. With the games a matter of weeks away, the PR race is on.

Before today, were you aware that the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will be
the first games to feature the same number of male and female athletes?
82%

84%

81%

78%

82%

83%

82%

73%

Unaware
Aware

17%

15%

All Countries

US

18%

20%

UK

Australia

25%
17%
Canada14%

16%

Germany

Spain

France22

How important is it for male and female athletes to have equal representation at the
Olympics and Paralympics?

83%

85%

58%

59%

87%
66%

84%
61%

85%
61%

74%

83%
66%

81%
54%

43%

25%

All Countries

26%

US

30%
21%

22%

24%

UK

Australia

CanadaVery Important

27%
18%

Germany

Spain

FranceSomewhat Important

23

ALMOST EVERYONE WATCHES WOMEN’S SPORTS - ESPECIALLY MEN
In the United States, media company TOGETHXR has popularized apparel emblazoned with the slogan, “Everyone watches
women’s sports” - and our survey showed they’re largely right. In our survey of over 14,000 respondents across 7 countries,
almost 11,000 or 73% say they watch women’s sports at least a few times a year, compared to the 81% who say they watch
men’s sports at least a few times a year. While there’s no doubt that people on average watch men’s sports more frequently,
the numerical gap isn’t as big as we thought it might be.

UKAustralia
Men

Germany

Women

Spain

80%
74%

80%
88%
69%
74%

80%
75%

78%
86%
72% 75%

81%
72%
75%

83%
75%

Canada

71%
68%
68%

88%
80%
76%
74%

85%
79%

82%
91%
78% 82%

83%
77%

83%
71%

US

79%
88%
75%
80%

88%
78%
73%
70%

Percentage of people who watch women’s sports at least a few times a year

FranceAll

Benchmark for men’s sports

24

55%
46%

20%

20%

25%

15%

21%

34%

37%
26%

Germany

Women

20%

33%

Canada21%
14% 21%
17%

19%

21%
17%

30%

Australia

Men

41%

44%
15%

21%

28%
29%

39%
13%

18%

23%
24%
UK

50%

53%

56%
15%

19%

38%

53%
US

16%

We also note that the highest
percentage of Americans - 17%- say they watch two or more
hours of women’s sports per week,
followed by 13% of Canadians and
12% of Australians.

23%
26%

When we zero in on those who
watch women’s sports mostfrequently, we see more men than
women in the audience in every
single country. Across all countries,
23% of men say they watch
women’s sports daily or weekly,
while only 15% of women say thesame. And Australian men are inpole position with 82% watching
women’s sports at least a few
times a year and 28% watching
women’s sports at least weekly.
So if you’re reading this reportand had been thinking the main
audience for women’s sports is
women… think again.

59%

Percentage who watch women’s sports at least weekly

Spain

FranceAll

Benchmark for men’s sports

25

IN FOCUS: FANS OF WOMEN’S SPORTS
The remainder of this report zeros in on the 10,746 respondents across seven countries who said they watch women’s sports
at least a few times a year. We describe these people as “women’s sports fans” or “fans of women’s sports.”

WOMEN’S SPORTS: WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
As a sports marketing and sponsorship platform focused squarely on professional women athletes, the Parity team is quite
familiar with the full range of professional women’s sports. The 1,000+ athletes in our network span over 80 different events,from archery to weightlifting and everything in between. We asked fans of women’s sports which sports they watch or follow,
and while soccer/ football and tennis dominate in all countries except the US, we see notable regional variance.
• Basketball dominates as the most popular women’s sport
to watch in the United States, but it’s only third at best in
all other countries. All the excitement around US women’scollege basketball is undoubtedly spilling over into theprofessional leagues, which should make 2024 the mostwatched WNBA season yet.
••

Australians rank women’s cricket third on their list
and are the only country to include netball (somewhat
surprising) and Australian Rules Football (not at all
surprising) in their top 10.
Volleyball makes the top six in all seven countries,
ranking highest (#2) in the United States.

•

France is the only country whose top 5 includes handball,although it does receive an honorable mention in Germany.

• The Canadians include ice hockey in their top five,cementing the success of the PWHL’s inaugural season
in North America. Curling receives an honorable mention
in Canada.
• The French include rugby in their top six, but it’s just outof contention in the UK and Australia.
•

Athletics/ Track & Field charts in both Germany andSpain, and it’s a close contender in both France and the UK.

•

Germans are the only population to proactively mention
biathlon as a women’s sport they watch or follow.

26

Most commonly watched women’s sports by country
US

UK

#1

Basketball

Soccer/FootballSoccer/FootballTennis#2

VolleyballTennisTennisCricket#3TennisAustralia

Spain

FranceSoccer/FootballSoccer/FootballSoccer/FootballSoccer/FootballTennisTennisTennisCricketVolleyball

Volleyball

Basketball

Volleyball

Basketball

Basketball

Basketball

Volleyball

BasketballIce Hockey

Athletics/
T&F

Golf

Handball

Golf

Golf

Athletics/
T&F

Rugby

Softball/BaseballHandballCurling

Biathlon#4

Soccer/FootballGolf#5

Softball/BaseballVolleyball

Golf

#6

Golf

Basketball

Volleyball

Honorable
Mentions

Gymnastics

Rugby

Netball

Softball/Baseball

Australian rules
football

Athletics/T&F

Rugby

CanadaCricketGermany

Golf
Gymnastics

Swimming
Athletics/T&F

One caveat: in the survey we listed out only seven sports (soccer/ football, basketball, tennis, golf, softball/ baseball, cricket, and volleyball) withan ‘other’ category, so any other sport outside of those seven that made the rankings did so without the aid of being mentioned. That likely means anumber of these lesser-ranked, regionally popular sports would have scored higher if we’d listed them. Lesson learned for our next study.

27

WOMEN’S SPORTS:
WHY WE’RE WATCHING
Across our almost 11,000 fans of women’s sports, thenumber one reason for watching women’s sports is a desire to
support women (41%), followed by the quality of play (33%)
and an interest in following individual athletes (32%). We
noted the following regional variance:• North Americans (36% of US and 34% of Canadian fans of
women’s sports) are most likely to watch women’s sports
to follow individual athletes.
• Fans of women’s sports in Germany (39%), France (37%),
and Canada (37%) are likeliest to cite the quality of play as
a reason why they tune in.
• German and American fans of women’s sports are likeliest
to say they watch because it’s exciting (33% each).
• 33% of French fans of women’s sports say they watch
because of differences in how the sport is playedcompared with men’s sports - which is five percentage
points higher than the next country, the UK.

28

US

36%
30%
33%

10%
8%
25%
UK

9%
10%

Australia

26%

42%

33%
30%

39%

6%
6%
26%

28%

21%

30%
38%

19%

8%
12%
32%

29%
8%
10%

10%
9%

33%

27%

46%

26%

28%
43%

24%

Canada

25%

34%
37%

26%

Spain

8%
9%

41%

Germany

32%
33%
29%

26%

36%
44%

27%

FranceAll countries

What makes you want to watch women’s sports, specifically? Select all that apply.

19%
4%

37%
36%
33%

9%

Interest in individual athletesFind women’s sports exciting

Differences in how the sport is playedcompared with men’s sports

Quality of play

Want to support women

Have more in common with other
women’s sports fans

Other

29

UP AND TO THE RIGHT
If you feel like women’s sports are experiencing a surge in popularity, you’re onto something.

Fully 28% of the fans of women’s sports we surveyed say they’re watching more women’s sports thisyear than last year, with the UK (36%) and Australia (34%) charting well above the average.
In general, a relatively high percentage of women’s sports fans (54%) have only begun watching within the last three
years, putting them early in their voyage of discovery - which bodes well for future growth of women’s sports fandom. This
proportion spikes in Spain, where roughly three-quarters (76%) said they’ve been watching or following for three years or less,and the UK ranked second with 60% being relatively new to women’s sports. One might credit the 2023 Women’s FIFA World
Cup Finals, which saw Spain triumph over England in a closely contested battle, with being the catalyst for at least some ofthat lift - especially since football/ soccer is by far the most popular women’s sport in those two markets.

Percentage of women’s sports fans who have watched or followed for 3 years or less
ALL COUNTRIES

54%

US

53%

UK

60%

AUSTRALIACANADAGERMANY

52%
47%
45%

SPAIN
FRANCE

76%
49%

30

How much women’s sports are you watching compared to last year?

ALL COUNTRIES

28%

54%

16%

US

27%

54%

17%

UK
AUSTRALIA

56%

29%
23%

SPAIN
FRANCE

49%

34%

CANADAGERMANY

47%

36%

32%
24%

More

Same Amount

13%
15%
12%

60%

13%

51%

14%

58%

15%

Less

31

WHAT’S FUELING THE RISE IN WOMEN’S
SPORTS FANDOM?
As for why people say they’ve been watching more women’s sports, personal
interest (44%) and quality and enjoyment (38%) are the biggest drivers, but theamount of media coverage (37%) and ease of finding women’s sports (32%)
are close behind. Personal interest is the biggest factor in the US (50% of
women’s sports fans), Canada (47%), Australia (45%), and Germany (40%), while
increased media coverage is mentioned most frequently by women’s sports fansin Spain (48%), France (40%), and the UK (38%).
Indeed, recent reports suggest that thanks to the proliferation of streaming
and social channels easing the ‘broadcast bottleneck’, women’s sports share of
media coverage has shot up from only 4% to 15%8. That’s significantly off from a
position of equity; still, the increasing accessibility of women’s sports serves asa catalyst for a new wave of women’s sports fans.
Media proliferation and fragmentation have meant more capacity but have also
created a hurdle for women’s sports fans everywhere: figuring out where towatch. A noteworthy 46% of all women’s sports fans and 50% of US women’s
sports fans say they most commonly find women’s sports by channel surfing.
Among the 16% of women’s sports fans who say they’re watching less this year
than last, the biggest factor cited is time (41%), followed by personal interest(27%), and amount of media coverage (19%).
Interestingly, a large percentage of fans of women’s sports - 55% - say theywould watch more women’s sports if they could watch with others, whetherin person, at a bar, or with friends. All of this points to the role of community
in sports and bodes well for Alexis Ohanian’s 776 Foundation, which recently
invested in the popular women’s sports-focused The Sports Bra9, paving theway for expansion via franchise.
32

44%

25%

Canada

22%

13%

38%
37%

32%

7%

5%

UK

24%

22%

13%

3%

36%

Australia

6%

17%

23%

33%

42%
43%

38%

21%

45%

23%

26%

4%

7%

37%

29%

13%

2%

31%

40%

8%

36%
38%
34%

40%

27%
24%

14%

3%

Spain

14%

40%

41%

34%

24%

Germany

US

7%

23%

33%
31%

34%

20%

11%

50%

28%

47%

21%

FranceAll countries

What are your main reasons for currently watching more women’s sports compared tolast year? Select all that apply.

19%

Personal interest level

Accessibility and ease of findingTime

Amount of social media coverage

Quality and enjoyment

Preferences of social circle and family

Amount of media coverage

Other/ No Answer

48%

36%
34%
35%

40%

33

STILL PLAYING CATCH-UP: WOMEN’S SPORTS MERCHANDISE
As mentioned, the majority of fans of women’s sports began watching in the last three years, and the merchandise market
appears to be in its infancy as well. 29% of fans of women’s sports say they’ve purchased women’s sports merch in those
three years, compared with the 48% of fans of men’s sports who say they’ve bought men’s sports merchandise. The US shows
the healthiest purchasing habits of women’s sports gear (31%) - but also the biggest gap relative to men’s sports fans whopurchased men’s sports gear (55%) - suggesting American sports fans are generally more likely to invest in merchandise.
Meanwhile, fans in the UK (23%) and Germany (19%) are least likely to have purchased women’s sports merch. If only Mary
Earps’ goalkeeper jersey had been released during the height of the Lionesses’ World Cup fever, we might be looking at adifferent story.
Given the record-breaking momentum behind WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever jersey, it’s safe to bet that thesenumbers will be moving significantly north in the US in particular.

Percentage of fans buying sports merchandise in the last three years
55%
48%
42%
29%

49%

44%

31%

30%
23%

All Countries

US

UK

45%

43%

28%

32%

29%

32%

19%

Australia

Bought men’s sports merchandise

CanadaGermany

Spain

FranceBought women’s sports merchandise

34

THE UNTAPPED BRAND OPPORTUNITY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS
Our survey provides fresh evidence of needle-moving opportunity and value for brands that invest in women’s sports. Acrossall countries, 32% of fans of women’s sports say they are more likely to purchase products when a brand supports women’s
sports or partners with female athletes. The number is highest in the US (38%) and Canada (35%).
When we focus on women who are fans of women’s sports, the numbers move up further, with 36% across all countries and
44% of US female fans of women’s sports saying they’re likelier to buy from a brand that supports women athletes and/or
women’s sports.

Fans of women’s sports who are more likely to purchase when a brand supports women’s
sports/athletes
44%
36%

38%

32%

29%

32%

33%

37%

40%
35%
30%

32%

22% 21%All Countries

US

UK

Australia

All fans

CanadaGermany

21% 22%

Spain

FranceFemale fans only35

It turns out that women’s sports fans (who account for 73% of our entire respondent base) are also substantially morecompelled to purchase the recommendation of a woman athlete than if another type of influencer is involved.

On average, women’s sports fans are 2.8 times more likely to purchase a product recommended by awoman athlete rather than by another type of influencer. And those who watch women’s sports daily or
weekly are 3.5x more likely.
The highest percentage of American
women’s sports fans (20%) say they’remore likely to purchase a productrecommended by a woman athlete, but
the results are relatively even across all
countries. The woman athlete ‘multipliereffect’ is at its highest in Germany, where
19% of women’s sports fans say they’d belikelier to purchase a product promoted
by a women athlete whereas only 4%
say they’d be likelier to make a purchase
based on promotion of a different kind of
influencer - a multiplier effect of 4.9x.
The effect is even more pronounced when
we isolate fans of women’s sports who
follow individual women athlete accounts
on social media. 33% of that population
say they’d be more likely to purchase
based on a women athlete promoting
a product, compared to only 7% who
say they’re more likely to be swayed byanother type of influencer. In this case, themultiplier effect rises to 4.8x.

Are you more likely to purchase a product promoted by awoman athlete or by another type of influencer?
20%

19%

19%

19%

19%

17%

2.6x

2.8x

2.4x

2.7x
3.7x

8%

7%

2.5x
4.9x

7%

7%
5%

All Countries

US

UK

Another influencer

17%

16%

6%
4%

Australia

CanadaWoman athlete

Germany

Spain

3.5x

5%

FranceWoman athlete
multiplier effect

36

These positive indicators align with relatively higher levels of trust in women athletes among all people, whether they arefans of women’s sports or not. A brand working with female athletes rather than male athletes might expect to see a 5-8
percentage point ‘believability boost’ because people in every country say they have higher levels of trust in women athletescompared to male athletes. Trust levels are generally highest in North America and lowest in continental Europe.

How much do you trust the athletes believe in the products they promote? (all respondents)

64%
57%

58%

50%

57%

55%
48%

50%

62%
55%

53%
46%
41%

45%

36%
29%

All Countries

US

UK

Australia

Trust male athletes

CanadaGermany

Spain

FranceTrust female athletes

37THE SOCIAL MEDIA OPPORTUNITY
So, where should all this product promotion be taking
place? On social media platforms, where 36% of all people(not just sports fans) follow one or more women’s sportssocial accounts. Individual women athlete accounts (20%)
are the most popular, followed by women’s sports teamaccounts (18%), women’s sports league accounts (10%),
women’s sports media accounts (6%), and women’s sports
fan accounts (4%). Generally speaking, 49% of people who
follow sports-focused social media accounts engage withthem at least weekly - making sports on social media a key
engagement opportunity for brands.

38

As for where they’re engaging with individual women athlete accounts: Instagram is relatively dominant overall, followed by
Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. X (formerly Twitter) slightly outranks TikTok in the UK and Spain, and the two platforms aretied in France. As one might expect, we see different results by age bracket: the 18-34 crowd puts TikTok second behindInstagram, while those 65 and older turn to Facebook first. Note this study was conducted before President Biden signed a bill
to potentially ban TikTok in the United States unless its parent company, Bytedance, divests ownership within a year - time
will tell how that impacts overall social media usage as well as engagement in women’s sports-focused content.

60%

US

Instagram

UK

Facebook

YouTubeTikTok

22%
23%

16%
16%
4%

4%

6%
6%

12%

14%
11%
6%
8%

9%

6%

1%
CanadaAustralia

32%

35%
31%

34%
34%
21%
19%

18%
3%

8%

9%
7%

12%
9%
8%
All countries

37%

40%

45%
31%

26%

29%

20%

21%

27%
19%

46%

42%

33%

38%

41%

43%

47%

56%

57%

61%

67%

67%

72%

80%

On which social media platforms do you follow individual women athletes? Select all that apply.

Germanyx (formerly Twitter)

Spain

Snapchat

FranceOther

39

CONCLUSION
Women’s sports have crossed the chasm.
Only 12 months ago, women’s sports were said to be having a ‘moment’.
Noting the sustained momentum, observers of the space began to coin it a‘movement’. Today, with 73% of our broadly representative sample acrossmultiple countries confirming that they watch women’s sports at least a few
times a year, we can say with confidence that women’s sports is part ofmainstream cultural dialogue across every country in which we surveyed.
It turns out that an investment in women’s sports isn’t just about targeting
women; it provides the chance to connect with a large, passionate body offans who are just as likely to be male, and who are flocking to women’s sports
for multiple reasons: out of a desire to support women; because they enjoy
the quality; due to differences in the way the sports are played by womencompared to men; and because they find women’s sports exciting.

Momentum continues to build.
Our study suggests we are in the early stages of women’s sports market
development, with new fans still very much in their discovery phase. 54% of
all women’s sports fans have only begun tuning into women’s sports in thelast three years. 28% of them are watching more compared to last year. And
only 29% have bought women’s sports merchandise in the last three years,
implying plenty of room for upside. Men’s sports have been mainstream formuch longer, and despite the head start across all categories, we expect thegaps to narrow in the coming years.

40Brands that sponsor women’s sports now can score amulti-layered win.
In an age where only 9% of sports media investment dollars are spent on
women’s sports10, brands can create both economic upside and goodwill
by committing more resources to women’s sports. Consider the facts:• 53% of consumers across all countries say brands aren’t investingenough in women’s sports. In Parity-run campaigns we’ve seen firsthand how positively audiences respond to seeing brands and pro
women athletes join forces in authentic, engaging ways.
• 57% of consumers across all countries trust that women athletesbelieve in the products they promote - 7 percentage points higher
than their trust in male athletes.
• 32% of all women’s sports fans (and 36% of women who watch
women’s sports) are more likely to purchase products when a brandsupports women’s sports and women athletes.
• Women’s sports fans are 2.8 times more likely to purchase a productrecommended by a woman athlete rather than by other types ofinfluencers.

With myriad sponsorship possibilities to choose from, theworld of women’s sports is wide open for business.
We predict an era of heightened fun and creativity in sports marketingin which more brands partner with more women athletes to build
increasingly memorable, creative, emotionally compelling, and above
all successful campaigns. We can’t wait to see what this new era ofmainstream brings.
41

Methodology and Demographics

References

This poll was conducted via SurveyMonkey from March 28 April 10, 2024 among a national sample of 5,408 U.S., 1,972
UK, 1,251 Australian, 1,743 Canadian, 1,290 German, 1,193
Spanish, and 1,517 French adults aged 18+. Respondents
for this survey were selected from the more than 2 million
people who take surveys on the SurveyMonkey platform
each day. The modeled error estimate for this survey
is plus or minus 2.0 percentage points in the U.S., 2.5
percentage points in the UK and Canada, 3.0 percentage
points in Germany and France, and 3.5 percentage points inAustralia and Spain. U.S. data were weighted for age, race,
sex, education, and geography using the Census Bureau’s
American Community Survey to reflect the demographic
composition of the United States. Data in the UK, Australia,
Canada, Germany, Spain, and France were weighted forage and sex using data from the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) to reflect thedemographic composition of those countries.

1

CNN Interview with Serena Williams

2“The Rise of Women’s Sports Isn’t a Moment, It’s a 		Movement,” Yahoo Sports

3

Defined throughout the report as people who watch
women’s sports a few times per year or more 		frequently

4“Why Female Athletes Make Winning Entrepreneurs,”
EY & ESPNw

5“Thriving Through Sport: The Transformative Impact
on Girls’ Mental Health,” Women’s Sports Foundation

6“Breaking the billion-dollar barrier: Women’s elite 		sports to generate more than $1 billion in revenue in
2024, ” Deloitte

7“Global Sports Industry Revenues to Reach $260 bn
by 2033,” Sportspro Media

8“New Study: Women’s Sports Comprise 15% of Sports
Media Coverage,” Wasserman.

9“With New Investor, The Sports Bra Makes Plans toFranchise Womens’ Sports Focused Bar,” USA Today

10“Forget brand sponsorship: women’s sports need 		brand intervention,” Parity blog

42

About Parity
Minority-founded in 2020, Parity is a sports marketingand sponsorship platform dedicated to closing the genderincome and opportunity gap in professional sports. By
developing high-impact collaborations between brands,
professional women athletes and their fans, Parity has
proudly put millions of dollars in the pockets of womenathletes, attracting dozens of brands to the movement in
the process. The platform connects brands like Microsoft,
Morgan Stanley, Superfeet, and AdventHealth to more than
1,000 women athletes from 75+ sports, including well over
250 Olympians and Paralympians. For more information on
how to tap into the rapidly rising influence and popularity ofwomen athletes, visit paritynow.co, request a consultation,or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

About SurveyMonkey
SurveyMonkey is a global leader in online surveys andforms that empowers people with the insights they needto make decisions with speed and confidence. Our fast,
intuitive feedback management platform connects millions
of users worldwide with real-time AI-powered insights thatdrive meaningful decisions. We provide answers to morethan 20 million questions every day so that people andorganizations can attract new audiences, delight customers,
create advocates, and extend their competitive advantage
in the marketplace. Our vision is to raise the bar for humanexperiences by amplifying individual voices. Learn more atSurveyMonkey.com.

43