Deloitte predicts that women's elite sports will generate more than $1 billion in revenue for the first time in 2024. This increases her by 300% compared to the industry rating in 2021.
It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what's causing the sudden rise in popularity of women's sports.Some fans point to young rising stars as tennis players Coco Gauff and college basketball standout Caitlin Clark are attracting new viewers to their sport, but coaches and sports executives blame growth on new investment and sponsorship in women's professional leagues. We believe that this is due to the expansion of opportunities.
The following four standout moments in women's sports highlight the success of women's sports over the past year and may signal the continued rise of women's sports in 2024.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers take the court during pregame introductions against the Omaha Mavericks at Memorial Stadium on August 30, 2023 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Stephen Brancomb Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
On August 30th, a world record for stands was set at a college volleyball game in Nebraska.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers played Nebraska vs. Omaha, which drew more than 92,000 fans. biggest crowd This is my first time watching a women's sports match.
The number of fans at Lincoln Memorial Stadium broke the previous record of 91,648, set in Spain in 2022 when FC Barcelona played Wolfsburg in a Champions League match.
Jordan Larson, a three-time Olympic medalist who played for the Huskers in college and returned to the team as an assistant coach in 2023, watched the historic game online while traveling to Canada with the U.S. women's volleyball team.
“Two other former Husker players on the team, Justin Wong-Orantes and Kelsey Robinson, and I went up to the creek and got chills watching from where we were. So what the stadium looked like. I can only imagine what it must have been like,” she said. CNBC “Make It”. “The best part is that friends from all over the world texted me and said, 'What's going on in Nebraska?'”
2023 was a record year for women's college volleyball, with game attendance and television ratings soaring, the NCAA reports, with the success of summer games leading to increased interest in the sport. thinking.
Larson added that the game was not only a celebration of Nebraska, but also a statement to “all women in sports.” “What it has brought to the world of volleyball, and now the potential for our sport is huge.”
Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes waves to the crowd during a Senior Day celebration after a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 3, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa.
Matthew Holst | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
Weeks after Nebraska's historic game, the University of Iowa women's basketball team, led by 22-year-old Caitlin Clark, hosted its own outdoor preseason game at the football stadium, drawing more than 55,000 fans.
It's no surprise that such a large crowd came to watch the Hawkeyes, as Clark's on-court dominance turned casual viewers into fans of women's college basketball.
A sharp-shooting point guard with impressive range, Clark broke several major records across men's and women's college basketball. Most recently, on March 3, he became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer in men's and women's college basketball in a game against the University of Iowa. Ohio.
Mr. Clark has attracted all kinds of celebrities to Iowa Hawkeye games, from actor Jason Sudeikis to rapper Travis Scott.
Her performance also drew millions more viewers to home college women's basketball. The 2023 NCAA Division I Championship Game, in which the Hawkeyes lost to Louisiana State University, drew nearly 10 million viewers on ABC and ESPN2, an NCAA women's basketball record. game.
The “Caitlin Clark effect” may soon be felt in women's professional basketball, as Clark recently announced she would forgo her final college season to enter the WNBA Draft.
“I'm ready for the next chapter and new challenges in life,” Clark said in a March 7 interview with Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts. ” he said. “And what I was able to do here was very, very special.”
Courtney Vandersloot of the New York Liberty walks to the basket during Game 3 of the 2023 WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces on October 15, 2023 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Evan Yu | National Basketball Association | Getty Images
The momentum in women's basketball has spread to the WNBA, which has had its most-watched season in 21 years.
On October 15, the New York Liberty hosted the largest crowd in WNBA history (17,143 in attendance) at Barclays Center for Game 3 of the Finals, where the Liberty faced off against the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces won, becoming the first WNBA franchise to win consecutive championships in 21 years. (The Aces also won the championship in 2022).
“When you look at the attendance record for last year's WNBA Finals, it was amazing,” said Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello. “This is proof of how women's sports can thrive when given the right stage and spotlight like the Barclays Center.
Brondello is looking forward to welcoming even bigger crowds in 2024, adding: “Hopefully we can break even more attendance records” for the next season, which starts in May.
Spanish players celebrate with the trophy during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 final match between Spain and England at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia on August 20, 2023.
Mark Atkins | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup broke several major records with 64 matches played in Australia and New Zealand in July and August.
Nearly 2 million fans watched the tournament in person, making it the most attended Women's World Cup in history.
FIFA's head of women's football, Dame Sarai Bearman, said FIFA's first global strategy to increase women's participation in football, introduced in 2018, was a key reason why last year's tournament was such a success. He said that this is the reason.
The strategy includes development programs for aspiring female athletes and efforts to introduce the sport to more fans around the world.
“When FIFA made the bold decision to expand the tournament from 24 to 32 teams, there were concerns from outsiders that the women's game was not yet ready and that competitive balance would be an issue. “There was a sense of tension,” she says. “But what we saw on the pitch in the end was incredible. It really showed the strength of the women's game around the world.”
Deloitte points to last year's World Cup, which brought in more than $570 million in revenue, as a major turning point in the growth of women's professional sports.
Bearman agrees. “New stars were emerging, stadiums were filling up and the world was talking about women's football,” she says. “For the next generation of young girls and boys, it will be normal to see this level of football in a packed stadium.”
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