Wrapped: Top Women’s Sports Research of 2025

Quick Facts

• 15 top women's sports research reports from 2025 highlight explosive growth: Fortune 500 companies investing doubled YOY, the global women's sports industry was projected to be worth $2.35B, and WNBA sponsor value increased 312% YOY
• Fan engagement is skyrocketing: 80% of U.S. sports fans follow women's sports, one study found 50% of women's sports fan respondents identified as fans of women's sports generally (not just one team), and 18-28% are iso/duo-fans creating new engagement patterns
• ROI is proven across metrics: WNBA Changemaker partners saw 286% ROI on average, women's sports revenue grew 4.5x faster than men's sports (2022-2024), and Fortune 500 brands investing in multiple women's leagues grew 6x YOY

Behind on your 2025 New Year’s resolution to get a little bit smarter on all things women’s sports? 

We know it can be hard to keep up on the data while also tuning in for so many record-breaking moments: the WNBA and NWSL in their monumental seasons; the global spectacles of the EuroCup, Women’s Rugby World Cup, and Women’s Cricket World Cups; the Gainbridge Super League in their second year; Women’s Elite Rugby, LOVB, Maybelline Women’s Lacrosse League, Athletes Unlimited Softball League, and Unrivaled all in their inaugural seasons; and so many more women's sports headlines!

We’ve made it easy for you to meet your goal before the clock strikes midnight. In no particular order, below we highlight the 15 best women’s sports research reports from 2025. 

As for your 2026 New Years Resolution for your company to be at the forefront of women’s sports marketing activations or thought leadership? We’d love to hear from you.

Best Big Brand Investment Barometer

Report: 2025 Sponsorship in Women’s Pro Sports, by Gather

Why it made the list: Tracking investment by Fortune 500 Companies is a great barometer for growth of women’s sports. Gather provides this data for three key women’s sports leagues (WNBA, NWSL, PWHL), making comparisons to their men’s sport counterparts (NBA, MLS, NHL). Overall and by league, they provide the number of sponsorships, brands that have more than one sponsorship, and brands that are exclusively spending in women’s sport. Now in their second year, Gather also shares comparisons to last year.

Two key stats:

• The number of Fortune 500 companies investing in women’s sports sponsorships has doubled since last year
• The number of companies with sponsorships in more than one league has grown 6x since last year

Best Global Women's Sports Industry Market Sizing

Report: Beyond the billion-dollar barrier, by Deloitte

Why it made the list: Taking a global look at women’s sport, Deloitte quantifies growth of women’s sport across sports, revenue sources, and regions. The report also identifies trends that will continue to drive growth, from ownership models to investment opportunities. The report gave rise to one of the most oft-quoted stats of the year: that the global women’s sports industry is projected to be worth $2.35B in 2025.

Two key stats:

• North America comprises 59% of the global revenue in women’s sport
• WNBA Changemaker partners reaped a 286% ROI on average

Best Women's Soccer Fandom Report

Report: What Every Marketer Needs to Know: U.S. Women’s Soccer Fans, by Parity (that’s us!)

Why it made the list: Women’s soccer fans are such a strong consumer base for brands, they forced our hands into writing this report – our first deep dive into a specific sport. Based on a survey of nearly 2400 US adults, we share which categories are breaking through and where white space remains; why athlete product collaborations are the #1 way to win; and how to turn trust into ROI with this engaged fanbase. (Want to zoom out to understand the full picture of women's sports fans? We did that past year, too.) 

Two key stats:

• 63% of U.S. soccer fans watch women’s soccer, with 1 in 4 watching the women’s game exclusively
• ~50% of women’s soccer fans say a brand’s sponsorship in women’s sports makes them more likely to buy the brand’s products

Best "Roses and Thorns" Analysis

Report: Closing the Monetization Gap in Women’ Sports, by McKinsey

Why it made the list: This report celebrates the successes women’s sport has seen while mapping out a path for continued growth and future successes. In addition to identifying key insights about the current state of play and roles for key stakeholders (marketers and sponsors [hi!], media, investors, and rights holders), the report outlines barriers still facing women’s sport that are hindering it achieving full monetization. 

Two key stats:

• 80% of U.S. sports fans follow women’s sports
• Between 2022 and 2024, revenue from women’s sports grew 4.5x faster than revenue in men’s sports

Best Comprehensive U.K. Overview

Report: The Summer of Sport: How Women’s Sport is Being Seen in 2025, by Women’s Sport Trust

Why it made the list: We’re big fans of research from across the pond by Women’s Sport Trust, a UK charitable organization that uses the power of sport to accelerate gender equality and catalyze social change. One of their many reports from this year, The Summer of Sport brings the receipts: who is watching women’s sports, what events are they watching, and how much women’s sports are they watching. Their data focuses on a European audience – and they break it down by sport, from 2025 headliners like UEFA Women’s Euros and Women’s Rugby World Cup to netball, cycling, cricket, boxing and more. (And if you want even more UK nuance, check out WST’s Scotland and Wales specialty report.)

Two key stats (data as of publication date in October 2025): 

• The top two most watched TV moments in the UK both came from the UEFA Women’s Euro, beating out popular TV show The Traitors 
• 2025 boasts the highest ever average viewing time in the UK for women’s sports

Best New Conceptualization of Fandom

Report: The New Faces Redefining Women’s Sports Fans, by Wasserman’s The Collective

Why it made the list: The increased presence of iso- and duo-fans – those who have no one or only one other person with whom to share their fandom, respectively – is one key difference between women’s and men’s sports audiences. This report breaks down those dynamics and shares other key insights about how women’s sports fans connect to and engage with the games and athletes they love. (Full transparency, our Director of Research & Insights is one of the authors of the report.)

Two key stats:

• 18% of respondents were isofans, and 28% were duofans – shifts compared to past data that show how the growth of women’s sports is correlated with increasingly shared fandom
• 50% of respondents identified first and foremost as a fan of women’s sports generally (rather than a fan of a specific team or league)

Best Breakdown of NWSL Sponsorship Economy

Report: NWSL Partnerships Report 2024 & 2025, by SponsorUnited

Why it made the list: With stats about sponsors’ investments, including highest and average deal sizes, top-spending categories, and brands that are stepping up in big ways, SponsorUnited’s first report on the NWSL really delivers. In addition to breaking down a few brands’ investments in micro-case studies, the report also shares which athletes are shining on social media and via endorsement deals.

Two key stats:

• On average, NWSL teams brought in $5.4M in sponsorship revenue, with deals averaging $170K for the 2024 season
• Healthcare and Financial Services are the highest spending categories in the NWSL, driving $25M+ in 2024 alone

Best Generational Deep Dive

Report: Gen Z x Women’s Sports, by Parity (that’s us!)

Why it made the list: We love the ecosystem-wide data – and we’re also really excited for differentiated storytelling. After all, not every women’s sports fan is the same. In this report, we shine a light on Gen Z aka The Women’s Sports Generation^TM. With bookending birth years that correspond to monumental dates for pro sports in the US, Gen Z provides a look at what happens when women’s sports are normal instead of novel.

Two key stats:

• 77% of Gen Z sports fans trust that women athletes believe in the products they promote, the most of any generation
• Gen Z features the highest awareness rates for 6 of 10 brand categories surveyed, making them more aware of women’s sports sponsors than older generations

Best Measure of Earned Value and Visibility

Report: Strategic Insights from the 2025 WNBA Regular Season, by Relo Metrics

Why it made the list: Quantifying brands’ returns on investment is key to growing the game. These insights from Relo Metrics demonstrate how much value brands derive from their activations in the WNBA. Spoiler alert: ROI is skyrocketing. Between continued league expansion (five new teams by 2030!), more media investment (looking at you, $2.2B rights deal!), and longer seasons (we can't wait to tune in!), the forecast continues to be up and to the right.

Two key stats:

• WNBA sponsor value increased 312% YOY
• Across live broadcasts and team-owned social media, the WNBA delivered 1.7M brand exposures – amounting to $395M in sponsor media value

Best Women's Rugby Report

Report: A Blueprint for Growth, by World Rugby

Why it made the list: Between the Women's Rugby World Cup hosted by England and the launch of Women's Elite Rugby in the U.S., global women’s rugby surged this summer. With this report, the sport's international governing body World Rugby makes a statement that they’re ready for what’s next. This report offers a deep dive into a sport that has only gained momentum since the 2024 Paris Olympics, with no signs of slowing down. Get the facts and figures about who these fans are, how they’re finding and engaging with the sport, and more.

Two key stats:

• 49% of women’s rugby fans have become fans of the sport in the past two years
• 41% of women’s rugby fans do not support a specific club – and the other 59% are just as likely to support multiple clubs as they are one single club

Best Canadian Women's Sport Industry Overview

Report: It’s Time: Leading the Next Era of Growth, by Canadian Women & Sport

Why it made the list: In Canada, 2025 marked the inaugural season of the Northern Super League (Canada’s own pro women’s soccer league), the debut of the Vancouver Goldeneyes as the PWHL’s first expansion team, and growing excitement and release of brand identity for the WNBA’s Toronto Tempo (beginning play in 2026). Which is to say: it was a big year for women’s pro sports in Canada. This report marks such a monumental year with a story about growth and opportunity for Canadian women athletes, teams, and leagues.

Two key stats:

• Canada’s pro women’s sports market has doubled in two years, to upwards of $400M in 2025 and is projected to reach $570M by 2030
• 50+% of Canadian WNBA, PWHL, and NSL fans are avid fans

Best New Entry into Women's Sports Research

Report: The Women’s Sports Era, by Snapchat x Dentsu

Why it made the list: Snap has…entered the chat on women’s sports (get it?), and we’re here for it. This report showcases how social platforms play a key role in fan discovery and connection – and the value of athlete-creators to platforms and brands (at Parity, we live to chat about that!).

Two key stats:

• 58% of women’s sport fans agree that they feel closer to women’s sports and athletes thanks to social platforms
• 67% of women’s sports fans follow an athlete or sports content creator on social media

Best WNBA Team by Team Breakdown

Report: The Top 10 WNBA Teams on Social Media, by Zoomph

Why it made the list: Given the unique role social media plays in women’s sports consumption and fan engagement, it’s notable that Zoomph has been quantifying the social value of the WNBA since at least 2019. Their top teams of 2025 report breaks down overall rankings, trending growth, and top post per team, in addition to an overview of the league’s owned assets.

Two key stats:

• The Dallas Wings saw the most growth across social media, increasing their engagement, impressions, and overall social value by 250-500% depending on metric
• Across social platforms, the WNBA surpassed 9.5M in social value across the 2025 season

Best Overview of Consumer Spending in Sports

Report: The Cost of Fandom, by Ally

Why it made the list: This short and sweet report is not specific to women’s sports, but we love seeing more data from Ally, a brand that for years now has shown up in women’s sports in a meaningful and intentional way.

Two key stats:

• Nearly a quarter of fans say their spending on women’s sports has increased
• Gen Z and Millennials especially see supporting women’s sports as a way to contribute to gender equality and empowerment

Best Women's Sports Meets Social Justice Data

Report: Narrative Change Through Sports, by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Why it made the list: While this report is not exclusively about women’s sports, its ethos is aligned with what we believe here at Parity: that women’s sport is good business and valuable to society. In fact, 94% of the athletes in the Parity community have at least one cause they are passionate about and want to use their platform to make a difference. If your org looking to connect with a receptive audience about key issues, let us know!

Two key stats:

• 84% of the public believe athletes can make an impact in raising awareness about issues in American society
• More than 80% of women’s sports fans support athletes sharing their opinions on important issues 

Hungry for even more data, all year long? Check out Parity’s hub for women’s sports research and insights.

About Parity, a Group 1001 Company
Parity is the leading platform for professional women athlete partnerships. With a mission to close the gender income gap in sports and beyond, Parity connects brands with a diverse network of more than 1,100 women athletes from 85 sports. Through sponsorship activations, content collaborations, and strategic advisory, Parity helps brands authentically engage the most trusted voices in sports today. For more information, visit www.paritynow.co, or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.