Women In Sports. And Business.

By Karen and Erica

Did you ever expect to see a headline saying: America’s Most Powerful Women In Sports?

We did not. But we were excited when we saw just that, in Forbes!

We have never played sports seriously, and were completely dismayed when the President’s Physical Fitness Test came for us in the 1960s. (That test is probably why we are not sporty.) 

But we were intrigued by the women who became stars—Althea Gibson, Billie Jean King, among others. And of course we were excited by special moments for women in sports. Like Billie Jean King’s Battle of the Sexes.  Brandi Chastain’s goal, and celebration. The Williams sisters inspired us, and the US Women’s Soccer Team’s World Cup victories were thrilling! More recently, Caitlin Clark, Coco Gauff and Simone Biles astonished us. Women have, at last, arrived.

Women’s presence in sports seems confirmed by the fact that there is now an All Women’s Sports Network, which says about itself:

The All Women’s Sport Network (AWSN) is the world’s fastest growing and largest global television network dedicated exclusively to women’s sports. The AWSN platform is available on over 1 billion devices across 65 countries and is redefining how audiences experience women’s athletics.​Co-founded by entertainment icon Whoopi Goldberg and Jungo TV, AWSN’s mission is to champion and elevate female athletes at every level, from grassroots competitions to elite international leagues. The network delivers live coverage and original programming from some of the world’s most prestigious sports organizations, including UEFA, Athletes Unlimited, FIBA, and the WNBL.​AWSN stands at the forefront of a cultural movement, celebrating the power, talent, and stories of women in sports on a truly global stage.

Possibly even more important, though, is the fact that women have key roles in the business of sport. Clara Wu Tsai owns the New York Liberty, the most valuable women’s basketball team—as well as being part owner of the Brooklyn Nets. Michelle Kang owns the Washington Spirit, France’s OL Lyonnes, and the London City Lionesses. Amy Howe is CEO of FanDuel.  Renie Anderson is chief revenue officer of the NFL. And on and on. And, McKinsey has concluded that women’s sports could generate at least $2.5 billion in value for rights holders in the United States by 2030—a 250 percent increase from the $1 billion generated in 2024

We find that women’s sports are experiencing hypergrowth due to several key factors. Most importantly, fandom is taking off. The number of fans is growing, and these fans are watching more games, which is boosting broadcast viewership and game attendance at stadiums. With fan interest rising, media companies are spending more to purchase rights to televise games. In turn, marketers are investing more in their sponsorship of teams and athletes to better position their brands in front of a growing demographic of engaged fans. As more money flows through the women’s sports sector, leagues are expanding, with existing leagues adding teams and new leagues forming, such as the three-on-three women’s professional basketball league Unrivaled and League One Volleyball (LOVB). 

The World Economic Forum agrees.

Women’s sports are having a big moment. This year alone, the Paris Olympics made history as the first-ever Olympic Games with gender parity among athletes, more viewers showed up and tuned in to the US’ WNBA (the Women’s National Basketball Association) than ever before and revenue projections across women’s sports surpassed $1 billion globally.

Finally, the biggest news of all–Ted Lasso will coach a women’s team next season. That’s a sure sign of which direction the wind is blowing!

We’re still not planning to become professional athletes, or big investors, but we have become fans. When we were younger, we thought sports was a man’s game, not really that interesting. Once women joined the party, sports became more fun to watch, and energizing for all of us. 

We rather agree with Sebastian Coe that Sport is a universal language, building more bridges between people than anything else I can think of.

Women need to play a role, at all levels.  We’re glad that’s happening.