Overview
Women’s football is experiencing a surge in popularity. Attendance figures for leagues are rising and high-profile matches are being increasingly played in larger stadiums, drawing record crowds. The women’s game is being showcased through varied broadcasting formats and social media is playing a vital role in building a dedicated fanbase.
Attendance
The matchday experience is key to building a bond between fans and clubs. The FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ being a record-breaking tournament is testament to the ever-growing popularity of the sport.
The average attendance across the leagues surveyed was 1,127 in 2021-2022. This represented around a 12% growth since the previous edition of the report, which occurred over a period when there were still many leagues that had attendance restrictions as a result of COVID-19.
The top three best attended leagues were in the:
USA
record-breaking attendances were achieved in 2022 with over one million watching National Women’s Soccer League matches in the season
Mexico
Clubs in the Mexican Liga MX Femenil play in the same stadiums as the affiliated men’s team, which may provide ease of access and familiarity for fans attending games
England
Over 45,000 tickets were sold for the match between Arsenal and Tottenham in September 2022, and a number of clubs reported record season ticket sales
THE LEAGUES WHICH REPORTED AN AVERAGE ATTENDANCE OF OVER 800 TYPICALLY HAD TWICE AS MANY SPONSORS COMPARED TO THOSE WITH ATTENDANCES BELOW 800, AND WERE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A TITLE SPONSOR (88% v. 50%).
Stadiums & Ticketing
A clear marker of the popularity of a club is whether they are able to attract significant attendances on a regular basis. However, some may be constrained by existing infrastructure, and may occasionally look to play elsewhere, particularly for marquee matches.
Of clubs that generated over USD 100k in matchday revenue offered season tickets for women’s games only.
Of all clubs offered a women’s team season ticket (either for the women’s team only or alongside the affiliated men’s team).
Of clubs played at least one home game in another stadium (which was not their regular stadium) in 2021-2022 and achieved attendances that were typically three times larger than those played at the regular stadium (3,674 v. 772).
Of clubs sold season tickets to watch the women’s team only (i.e. not bundled with those of the men’s team), and typically achieved an average attendance over two times higher than those clubs which did not (1,314 v. 658).
Clubs that generate more matchday revenues (and typically attract greater crowds) are, therefore, in a position to offer a unique product, which is distinctly separate to that of the men’s game.
Digital engagement
It is common for for women’s teams to have joint social media accounts with men’s teams. This was most common on YouTube (62% of clubs) followed by Instagram and Facebook (both 27%). These accounts typically have a greater number of followers than those which are for the women’s team only. However, there is an argument to be made that those following the women’s team only – whilst sometimes smaller in number – may be more engaged with content.
Facebook remains the most prevalent social media platform used by clubs, with 83% having an account. However, where clubs had an account, TikTok was the most followed and typically had many more followers.