Discover four strategies to build on the boom in women’s sports, following the momentum from the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics and looking ahead to the UEFA Women’s Euros and Women’s Rugby World Cup this summer
Raeesa Brey|03.21.25 – 6 minutes
Need to know
As women’s sports continue to captivate new audiences, brands can tap into their expanded influence and cultural impact to drive revenue across industries.
Opportunity
This year is set to be another defining year for women’s sports, following the success of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games. Global revenues in women’s elite sports are forecast to reach $2.35bn in 2025 – a 240% increase from the market valuation of $692m in 2022 – and basketball and football will continue to be the top money earners, forecast to reach $1.03bn and $820m respectively in 2025 (Deloitte). Major upcoming tournaments such as the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 and UEFA Women’s Euros 2025 are also seeing record demand for tickets (Forbes).
Women’s sports aren’t just for female audiences; they’re a mainstream, high-growth commercial opportunity for an intergenerational audience. Ahead of 2025 March Madness in the US (the time of the annual NCAA college basketball tournament), betting platform DraftKings noted it had seen a 250% YoY increase in bets for the most recent women’s tournament (MarketingDive). To drive lasting impact, continue to embed DE&I initiatives into your women’s sports strategies, ensuring equity at every level. In January 2023, UNESCO reported that despite women making up 40% of all sports participants, global women’s sports received just 4% of media coverage, which highlights a clear opportunity to invest in more partnerships that drive both cultural and commercial impact.
STEPIC forecasts: Play Power, Glimmers, World-Building, The Age Spectrum
Strategies
Demystify the elite athlete: capitalise on the social media momentum around the 2024 Paris Olympics by showcasing female athletes’ lifestyles and wellness choices
Lean into the luxury opportunity: build on the precedent set at the 2024 Paris Olympics by forging strategic partnerships in luxury fashion and beauty
Empower the everyday female athlete: tap into the fandom around women’s sports to help foster inclusive communities and provide expert guidance to make sports feel more accessible
Support female athletes at every life stage: use campaigns to normalise the diverse realities of female athletes in order to continue driving systemic change in sports
Relevant industries: fashion, sports and outdoor, beauty, food and drink, consumer tech
Proof points
Demystify the elite athlete
Building on the momentum of the 2024 Paris Olympics, when female athletes used social media to showcase their lives behind the scenes, brands can continue to capture female athletes’ influence beyond the sports arena.
Strategies
Empower athletes as creative directors, allowing them to shape authentic narratives that resonate with their audiences. Focus on fostering partnerships in fashion, beauty and consumer tech, as these seamlessly integrate into the lifestyles of female athletes, enhancing both their personal brands and audience engagement
Empower athletes by equipping them with essential social media skills to create and share behind-the-scenes content about their lives. In preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Visa hosted masterclasses for athletes to encourage them to share their experiences on social media and grow their following
Consider partnering with alternative ambassadors and collaborating with athletes’ partners or parents, as they have gathered significant followings on social platforms and often provide an unfiltered view of athletes’ lifestyles
Ahead of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, US rugby star Ilona Maher has captured the attention of brands like Paula’s Choice and adidas with her hilarious and unfiltered approach to social media, boasting over 3.5m followers on TikTok
In action
Tennis superstar Serena Williams uses her social media accounts, such as Instagram, to share behind-the-scenes glimpses of motherhood, training and managing a beauty brand to over 18 million followers
Arsenal, the English women’s football club, uses Instagram Reels to showcase behind-the-scenes footage of athletes training, recovering and sharing personal stories with almost 2 million followers
Swiss footballer Alisha Lehmann has grown an Instagram following of over 16.6 million fans, providing them with a glimpse into her lifestyle, from training to fashion and beauty preferences
US Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee uses TikTok and Instagram to showcase her training process and share her lifestyle opinions, from fashion to beauty tutorials, with millions of followers
With over 8 million followers on TikTok, US college gymnast Olivia Dunne has capitalised on name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and offers her followers a behind-the-scenes look at her vacations, training routines, and fashion partnerships
Lean into the luxury opportunity
Leveraging the success of luxury fashion partnerships at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, brands can further elevate sports and athletes in luxury fashion, beauty and lifestyle categories.
Strategies
Experiment with co-creation by partnering with elite athletes to release specialised kits and equipment, allowing luxury brands to enter the sporting realm in an authentic manner
Leverage major sporting events to build cultural capital by partnering with athletes who embody luxury brand values. Take inspiration from Dior, which named Chinese tennis player Zheng Qinwen as a global ambassador after winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, reinforcing its association with boldness and elegance while strengthening its legacy with female athletes
Elevate sporting experiences, particularly in traditionally male-dominated spaces, through luxury activations that allow audiences to engage with and shop high-end fashion and beauty products. For example, look to Formula One as a key growth opportunity by partnering with luxury brands to promote systemic change and support female drivers and engineers
LVMH and Dior have partnered with Olympic and Paralympic talent Pauline Déroulède, who serves as a brand ambassador representing sporting excellence, a key quality that embodies the essence of the French luxury brand
In action
Off-White partnered with professional golfer Paris Hilinski as her kit sponsor for tournaments. This partnership highlights the potential for disruption in traditional sports like golf through the incorporation of a streetwear brand aesthetic. The kit has been developed into a shoppable range for both female and male golf enthusiasts
Chanel has announced a partnership with the prestigious annual rowing competition between Oxford and Cambridge universities, featuring both men’s and women’s events. The competition will be renamed the Chanel J12 Boat Race. As the official timekeeper, Chanel will promote its watch collection, with a special focus on the J12 model
Nike entered the luxury beauty market by partnering with British make-up artist Isamaya Ffrench from Isamaya Beauty to develop two colourways of the Air Max Dn. This collaboration highlights the merging of fashion, beauty and sports, creating products that specifically appeal to female consumers
Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu has partnered with Porsche to promote the Porsche Macan Electric in its Take the Wheel campaign, which aligns her innovative freestyle skiing with Porsche’s winning spirit
After the success of the 2024 Olympics, Balenciaga gained cultural capital by partnering with South Korean shooter Kim Ye-ji, including her as a brand ambassador and model for a campaign photographed by Juergen Teller
Empower the everyday female athlete
Tap into the fandom surrounding women’s sports to make exercise feel more accessible to everyone – especially women and girls who have been historically excluded from sports.
Strategies
Partner with niche sporting communities to authentically reach new audiences that may align with your brand while capitalising on the collective effervescence that sports delivers, from running to football clubs
Support the ideals of fifth-wave feminism by investing in community sporting spaces. This can include transforming retail stores into communal hubs and event-gathering spots. These spaces would allow members to meet new people, recover after workouts, and explore new merchandise
Create safe and accessible spaces for women to practice and participate in sports activities, including offering free online workouts from professional trainers and organising events that allow women to exercise safely at night. The US-based Women’s Sports Foundation says girls have 1.3m fewer opportunities to play high school sports than boys because of a lack of access
Grlswirl, a female skateboarding community, has established a global network of skaters from California to Copenhagen. It welcomes individuals of all backgrounds and skill levels, ultimately promoting empowerment, encouragement and friendship through skateboarding
In action
Alo builds a community by supporting female-led partners through various events and studio classes, including breathwork, running and yoga
Nike collaborates with top trainers like Kirsty Godso to offer digital training plans through its accessible training app, along with in-person meet-ups for marketing events, fostering an engaged female audience
To enhance the female running community, Nike has introduced an After Dark running tour for women in cities including Sydney, Shanghai, Seoul, Mumbai, Los Angeles, and Mexico City. This comprehensive, community-driven training program offers digital training plans as well as locally run club meet-ups
On Running has partnered with Elmo from Sesame Street to promote a softer approach to training through the Soft Wins campaign. This initiative challenges the intense mentality often associated with running, encouraging both men and women to focus on enjoying physical activity instead of feeling overwhelmed by it