Why women’s sports equality is key to marketing success

Fourteen million—that’s how many Americans tuned in to see the U.S. Women’s National Team take on the Netherlands in the 2019 FIFA World Cup finals. Granted, it’s no Super Bowl audience, but what is extraordinary about this number is the 22% edge it had over the 2018 men’s final. But wait—there’s more. With 4.85 million viewers, the 2022 Women’s NCAA basketball championship was the most-watched college basketball game (men or women) on ESPN since 2008. The 2021 women’s U.S. Open final saw the tennis tournament’s largest audience with 3.4 million viewers tuning in to ESPN. Not only are these viewership trends undeniable victories for girl power, but they also support the case for gender parity in the world of professional sports. It’s time for the prime time-ification of women’s sports. For too long, executives have invested smaller dollar amounts in prime-time coverage of women’s professional sports—defending them with past viewership metrics. All the while, the underlying problem has been that these numbers don’t take into account the outsized returns women's sports can have for brands. In order to make real change, brands will have to break a vicious cycle of inequity: Sponsorships: Female leagues receive less than 1% of sponsorship investments. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs Broadcast: Women’s sports account for about 5% of media coverage, and most of that is outside of the prime-time slot. Salary: On average, NBA players are paid $5.3 million a year. The WNBA? Less than $130,000. (Imagine the gap in women’s sports with less visibility.) Put mildly, the playing field is far from level. What does this have to do with brands? Everything. Marketers, agencies, media companies and the brands they serve all wield tremendous power in the fight for equity in women’s sports. That influence can and should go beyond how and where businesses spend their money, but the pocketbook is a good place to start. However, no group or company can do this alone. Absolute transformation will happen only with a team effort and strong game plan. Related: Brands pay tribute to Serena Williams Set clear intentions As brands embark on this mission of equity, a united front with clear, shared goals will be essential. That starts with setting specific, measurable outcomes and an understanding that everything will not be fixed overnight. By zeroing in on specific objectives, such as broadcast spending and air times, we can focus discussions and actually move the needle. It doesn’t require incremental spend either. It’s about rebalancing priorities and budget optimization. It’s also critical to identify who needs to be in these discussions. It’s the tournaments and leagues, yes, but also the media properties and major sponsors. Only with all of the right decision-makers at the table can we hope to make real, lasting change for women’s sports. Make meaningful investments There’s no getting around the fact that businesses need to be ready to invest. The gap in visibility between men’s and women’s sports is a financial one. Breaking the cycle is going to mean shifting where we put our money. The good news is that it’s not as big of a marketing risk as some might think. We already know that investing in women’s sports can pay off. One major brand that sponsored the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team in 2019 saw fan engagement and affinity jump more than 2,000%. And since Nike became the official sponsor of the WNBA in 2018, it’s reported that fans of the league are 3.4 times more loyal than sports fans in general. There is and always has been a market for women’s sports, now is the time to invest in more meaningful ways. Be candid and committed As in all things, honesty will be the best policy as we push for gender equity in professional sports. There are difficult discussions ahead, and transparency and candor will be essential. Get to know the landscape, understand the players (both on and off the field) and be ready to go to bat for the issues holding them back. It’s way past time for women around the world to see themselves in professional sports. If we see it, we can be it. Stay on guard even as the cause célèbre nature of the Title IX anniversary begins to fade. It will be tempting and easy to fall back into old habits. Be ready to call it out when it happens. A better future for women is a better future for everyone This isn’t a discussion about men vs. women. This is a fight that needs men and women working together. The benefits of parity are clear. Whether it’s the boardroom, the classroom or the field of play, when young girls see people like them in these spaces, they learn early on they belong there too. That correlation and impact are clearly seen among women executives, 94% of whom have a background in sports: More than half of them competed at the collegiate level. Playing with and leading a team, training, coming from behind, learning from losses—these are all life lessons that go well beyond athletics and help men and women alike achieve their full potential. That’s the payoff … that’s the goal worth fighting for. But make no mistake, we aren’t talking about charity work here. By pulling women's sports up to parity with men's, brands generate more fan experiences and better opportunities to connect with people when they are most engaged and open. We need all hands on deck—the teams, brands, media, men and women. It’s going to take a team effort. By lifting everyone up to the same level, everyone wins: the leagues, the players, the fans and those helping to effect change. History is being written every day. We have an opportunity to change it for the better. Will you join us? 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Why women’s sports equality is key to marketing success

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