Are Retail Brands Keeping Up With Women’s Sports?

Women’s sports are breaking through age-old barriers.

In the past few years, we’ve witnessed significant progress, notably highlighted by the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which saw women’s sports take center stage. That momentum gained further traction when EA Sports included women’s teams and players in their video game for the first time with EA FC 2024. Soon, the Kansas City Current’s $117 million stadium will become the first facility specifically built for a women’s pro team when it opens in the spring of 2024.

We’re also seeing a remarkable uptick in viewership; the numbers speak volumes. Take the WNBA, which smashed their highest viewership records ever this season. Or consider the game in late January between No. 9 LSU and No. 1 South Carolina in women’s college basketball, drawing over 1.56 million viewers. It even eclipsed the NBA game airing at the same time, which only averaged 1.38 million viewers.

According to research by Deloitte, women’s sports will generate revenue of $1.28 billion in 2024, up nearly 300% from just three years ago. This data should be sounding alarm bells for brands. The surge in women’s sports interest isn’t a future trend; it’s happening now. If brands wait any longer to take advantage of the potential growth associated with this change, it will be too late in the game.

One sector that urgently needs transformation in light of this cultural shift is retail. If it’s clear that the game is growing for a commercial broadcast audience, why aren’t retailers taking advantage to grow their female audiences? Many are trying, but the approach needs a shift.

Room to grow: Women’s sports apparel

The fact is, women athletes have unique needs, and a one-size-fits-all approach to women’s sports apparel is not going to cut it.

Sports equipment designed specifically for young girls often tends to mimic pink versions of the products made with boys in mind. This not only limits choice but also reinforces (very) outdated stereotypes. Our collective responsibility as marketers is to challenge this way of doing things.