American Tara Davis-Woodhall competes in the preliminary round of the long jump competition during ATHLOS NYC25 at Times Square in New York City. Source: Athlos
For decades, one thing that women in sports have inherently understood is that “when girls can see it, they can be it.” Today, that truth is more quantifiable than ever. As women’s sports become increasingly accessible – on television, social media, and streaming platforms – we’re seeing a direct correlation between visibility and participation in the U.S. The more girls and women that watch and engage with women’s sports, the more they are getting in the game themselves. And now, we have more data than ever to prove it.
According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), female athletic participation in the 2024-25 school year surpassed 3.5 million – the highest number ever recorded.
Outdoor track and field, volleyball, and soccer continue to lead the way as the top three sports for girls, followed closely by basketball and softball. Among the fastest-growing sports for girls in the U.S. are girls wrestling, flag football, and lacrosse.
If you’ve been following the rise of the women’s sports industry over the last 5+ years, it’s probably not surprising to see participation jumps in these sports given the growth they’ve experienced at the collegiate and professional levels. The connection between what girls see and what they do couldn’t be clearer. Here’s a look at how visibility is driving participation across U.S. girls’ sports.
🏃♀️ Track & Field. Today, track and field is the most popular sport for girls in the U.S., with 513,808 athletes competing during the 2024-25 school year. The sport’s surge in participation mirrors its growing visibility on the world stage. The standout performances of Team USA’s women at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games captivated global audiences and inspired a new generation of runners, jumpers, and throwers. Meanwhile, the launch and success of ATHLOS is helping sustain that momentum by providing more visibility and new commercial opportunities for women in the sport. This year, ATHLOS signed a broadcast partnership with ION – putting track & field on domestic linear TV. As a result, the 2025 event drew 3.75 million viewers across ION, X, YouTube, and ESPN+, which represents a 25% increase in viewership over the inaugural event in 2024.
🏐 Volleyball. Volleyball has become one of the biggest success stories in women’s sports, with 492,799 girls playing high school volleyball last year – an increase of nearly 3%. The sport’s visibility and popularity has exploded across every level of play. At the collegiate level, one key example is how the University of Wisconsin is averaging 8,620 fans per match this season, leading the NCAA in attendance and projecting over $2 million in ticket sales for the first time. This momentum has been building for a while, as in 2023, Nebraska Volleyball made history when 92,003 fans filled Memorial Stadium to set a world record for the largest women’s sporting event ever. In 2024, ESPN recorded the most-watched Women’s College Volleyball regular season ever, up 21% from 2023. Professionally, the rise of Athletes Unlimited Volleyball, League One Volleyball (LOVB), and Major League Volleyball (MLV) has ushered in a new era of visibility and opportunity for women’s volleyball. AU matches are now broadcast on ESPN and the All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN), while LOVB has secured media partnerships with USA Network and ESPN, expanding its reach to mainstream audiences. Meanwhile, MLV continues to grow its footprint through distribution on YouTube, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, and VBTV, giving fans more access than ever to professional women’s volleyball across multiple platforms.
⚽ Soccer. Women’s soccer continues to surge in popularity, with 393,048 girls playing high school soccer last year – an increase of 2.4%. The sport’s growth at the youth level mirrors its momentum at the pro level. In the U.S. today, there are now two top tier professional women’s soccer leagues: the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the Gainbridge Super League. Today, the NWSL is more visible than ever with new media rights deals across five different networks – CBS, ESPN, Amazon, Scripps, and Victory+ – and outpacing the MLS when it comes to average regular season viewership. Meanwhile, the newly launched Gainbridge Super league – which is available via Peacock – is growing in popularity, recently setting a new record for the most-attended women’s pro sporting event in the state of Texas.
🏈 Flag Football. Flag football is experiencing explosive growth among girls, with 68,847 participants in the 2024-25 school year, representing a remarkable 60% year-over-year increase. The sport’s rise has been fueled by the NFL’s investment in girls’ and women’s flag football and the sport’s upcoming inclusion in LA28. At the same time, women’s tackle football is making waves of its own. In the U.S., both the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) and the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) have made massive strides in the last few years when it comes to reach, impact, and visibility. The WFA secured media partnerships with ESPN and AWSN, while the WNFC made history with the first-ever live, linear broadcast of its championship game on ESPN2.
These examples show that accessibility and visibility drive growth. When women’s sports are easy to find, watch, and celebrate, participation skyrockets. Every broadcast, stream, and ticket sold sends a powerful message to girls everywhere: you belong in sports. And as a result, more girls are playing than ever.
About Caroline Fitzgerald
Caroline Fitzgerald (she/her) is a contributing writer for Parity and the CEO & Founder of GOALS - a women's sports marketing consultancy & media platform. Caroline launched GOALS in 2020 after recognizing that there was an opportunity to help brands, networks and fans see the social and economic value that can come from investing in women's sports. GOALS also produces the leading women's sports business podcast - 🎙️The Business Case for Women's Sports, which is presented by Ally. For more information on GOALS, visit https://goals-sports.com or follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Threads.
About Parity, a Group 1001 Company
Minority-founded in 2020, Parity's mission is to close the gender income and opportunity gap in professional sports. By developing high-impact collaborations between brands, professional women athletes and their fans, Parity has proudly put more than $3.5 million in the pockets of women athletes, attracting dozens of brands to the movement in the process. The platform offers connections to more than 1000 women athletes from 80+ sports, including well over 200 Olympians and Paralympians. For more information on how to tap into the rapidly rising influence and popularity of women athletes, visit https://paritynow.co or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Threads.