Minnesota is currently in the midst of a boom in women's sports.
First-ever Big Ten women's basketball tournament sold out. The contest will run through the weekend at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The U.S. women's national soccer team announced this week that it will play at Allianz Field in St. Paul on June 4. The women's professional hockey league is gaining momentum. And a week ago, a groundbreaking sports bar exclusively for women's sports opened in the Twin Cities.our bar Already very popular.
So what caused the sudden interest and passionate fan base in this gender, which had not previously been covered in mainstream media?
Nicole Lavoie, director of the Tucker Research Center on Girls and Women in Sports, said the MPR News connection and social media have given fans almost direct access to their idols, creating a “new era” in the industry.
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“Female athletes are using social and digital media to gain agency to increase their popularity, amplify their voices and advocate for issues, engage authentically and directly with their fans, and create actionable “I have developed a unique personal brand,” Lavoie said. “What we know from the data is that female athletes have twice the level of engagement with their followers compared to male athletes…So social media bypassing traditional cognitive pathways has been great for female athletes. ”
Nicole Lavoie, director of the Tucker Research Center on Girls and Women in Sports;
Provided by: College of Education and Human Development via University of Minnesota
In addition to engagement, female sponsorships are also up, at 22 percent year-over-year, according to Lavoie. Deloitte predicts that global revenue in 2024 will be close to $1.3 billion, and has been on the rise for several years.
“As such, people are increasingly recognizing the valuable investment in women's sport and the potential for significant returns and returns on investment,” Lavoie explained.
And can't be ignored Lavoie believes that the Caitlin Clark Effect has a positive impact on all young people, regardless of gender.
However, the future is uncertain. In 1999, the United States hosted and won the FIFA Women's World Cup, creating a new buzz in women's sports. But it disappeared. Lavoie is cautiously optimistic that the current boom won't suffer the same fate.
“It's going to be different this time because women's sports are being given more prime-time media slots, which increases visibility and interest. And we're seeing production values that are much higher. , it shows that the quality of women's sports in general has improved and that they are serious athletes.”
Lavoie also points to the “rich, deep storytelling” around female athletes and the current distraction from selling sex rather than sports. For example, PWHL keeps this in mind with its promotional videos that feature fairness across ages and backgrounds and a high level of respect and excitement for hockey. That quality will make all the difference, Lavoie believes.
“People love women's sports. That's why we're seeing unprecedented viewership and attendance and sellouts like the Big Ten tournament, and it's just an exciting time for women's sports.”
