Three cultural trends brands can build on to establish lasting engagement and sustained credibility in women’s sport
It’s been a winning year for women’s sport. Over 16 million tuned into the Lionesses’ win at the Euros; a record 4.1 million watched the Wimbledon women’s final; and a total TV audience of 12 million followed the Women’s Rugby World Cup. These tentpole moments have successfully raised the profile of women’s sport, with high levels of engagement signalling an appetite for more. This could be a new era where flagship moments are the catalyst for longer-term fan engagement between major events.
It’s also a moment that presents a key opportunity for brands to shape the future of women’s sport – and the fans we spoke to agree. There’s a clear expectation for brands to play a role in the next phase of women’s sport, with 78% saying they believe it’s important for sponsorship brands to authentically support women’s sport, while 88% believe partner brands should provide financial support that extends to women and girls community sport. But how do brands achieve authentic partnerships?
By first understanding what’s going on culturally across the UK, and how that relates to women’s sport at both a grassroots and professional level. With this in mind, we’ve identified three cultural trends for brands to consider and act on in order to build successful long-term partnerships with women’s sport.
One: From short-term kicks to long-term purpose
Our culture is one of hyper-efficiency and hyper-distraction where double-speed podcasts and social media overload incapacitates attention and memory. Women’s sport, to an extent, is a victim of this need for instant gratification. While Chloe Kelly’s winning goal has been replayed endlessly across TikTok, its clickbait quality has inevitably subsided.
Yet a growing trend of slower, mindful living advocates for the benefits of paying attention to the here and now – with the hashtag #slowliving ironically gaining over 500 million views on TikTok. This trend centres around wellbeing by advocating timeout from technology to focus on intentional living. It’s less about short-term kicks and more about seeing rewards pay off over the long term.
Similarly, we’ve seen major events drive motivation for longer term engagement with women’s sport, especially amongst younger fans. Almost three in five 18-34 year olds who watched the Wimbledon Championships said they’d like to watch more women’s tennis throughout the year, and well over one in three young people reported increased motivation to watch women’s club football following the Lionesses’ Euros victory.
Little coverage is currently given to women’s sports in between championship events – specifically, the day-to-day reality of reaching these winning moments. Few talk about the long, hard road travelled, but these are stories worth sharing with an audience who wants to listen. And it’s here – between the trophy-lifting moments – that brands have the opportunity to show up authentically.
Younger female sports fans in particular want to see brands partner with women’s sports at a deeper level. With 95% of those aged 18-24 saying it’s important that a brand reflects the values of the sport it sponsors, and 95% also stating it’s important a brand actively supports women and women’s issues beyond sport itself – such as helping to tackle the wider societal and cultural barriers that female athletes face.
Women’s sport, to a degree, is still in a significant phase of development. This presents an opportunity for brands to show up for the long-term as women’s sports begins to attract a larger audience outside of flagship moments – Premiership Women’s Rugby saw a 183% year-on-year increase in opening round attendances following the Red Roses World Cup. Now is the time to take action as women’s sports becomes further embedded in UK culture.
Two: From polished to real
Consumers are demanding content that is relatable, unpolished and transparent. Audiences crave genuine, human connection that opposes the rise of AI-generated content. They want to see themselves reflected in those they follow and engage with.
Brands can tap into this by promoting stories about women’s sport and everyday challenges athletes face. When cricketer Lauren Bell shared her pre-game hair routine on TikTok, it resonated with women and girls getting involved in sport. Normalising the experience of professional players in this way also creates greater connection between fans and role models they follow. Moreover, it creates a touchpoint for brands to show how they’re helping girls overcome less obvious barriers to participating in sport.
Ill-fitting kit is a much-debated challenge that women in sport face. Activist and hockey player Tess Howard campaigned extensively against the International Hockey Federation (IHF) rules which stated female players compete in uncomfortable skorts. Her campaigning saw the IHF change the rules in 2023, allowing female players to compete in shorts. Tess is now a sponsored athlete of Gray’s Hockey, an apparel brand that supports her inclusive sportswear campaign – a move that positions the brand as supporting women as a whole, not just women in sports.
This points to further opportunities for brands to help define and shape a culture. With two in five fans of women’s sport following an individual female athlete, brands can partner with these icons as they share real-life experiences at the frontline of sport – with a key focus on the stories that fans can relate to personally.
Three: From scrolling on socials to socialising in real life
Social disconnection is prevalent and increasing among young adults. The World Happiness Report states that almost one in five young adults across the world feel they have no one they can count on for social support – a 39% increase compared to 2006. The apps designed to bring us together are likely making many less able to socialise in person, which tells us the role of socialising has never been more important. What’s more, our survey results show that socialising is a key motivator for engaging with sport, especially amongst younger female fans.
While women’s sports is making fan engagement more accessible through the launch of tournaments like The Hundred and the airing of major events like the Euros on free-to-view channels, it’s participating in sport where the substantial gender gap emerges. Male and female football fans watch live matches to an equal extent, yet the proportion of male fans taking part is significantly higher than the number of female fans who play.
Given that playing sport is a key source of social interaction, brands have a window of opportunity to help bridge the gap and support female fans’ participation in sport. Skoda recognised this as a main sponsor of the Tour de France Femme, identifying that over half of women in the UK own bikes but don’t use them. This led to the Strava-based Complete the Streets campaign to get women back on their bikes, which saw 47,000+ women take part. Skoda’s campaign provides a great example of a brand supporting women’s sport authentically at all levels – from elite athletes through to their fans.
Three trends that require insight, strategy and imagination
Brands have an incredible opportunity to be part of a cultural shift in the landscape of women’s sport. Ultimately, it’s an investment that can deliver strong return for brands to be known, and remembered, for shaping a better future for women’s sport, women in sport and their fans.
Where to begin? We’ve identified three actions that brands can take to show up authentically in support of women’s sport:
- Focus on long-term purpose: Commit to long-term partnerships with women’s sports leagues and athletes through sustained engagement strategies that extend beyond major events.
- Prioritise relatability: Partner with women’s sports icons to share honest personal stories that resonate with fans and build genuine connection.
- Facilitate social connection: Develop initiatives that support in-person social connection, community building and taking part in sport to bridge the gap between women’s sports fandom and participation.