New report confirms interest in women’s sport is on rise

Global measurement and data analytics company, Nielsen, has recently released a report declaring 84% of sports lovers are interested in women’s sports.

The rate of change in women’s sports is one of the most exciting trends in the sports industry right now, according to Nielsen.

“We believe there has previously been a lack of data around women’s sports, and we’re excited to share these insights as a starting point to forming a detailed understanding of the women’s sports commercial landscape,” the report said.

Studies were conducted with general sports fans in the US, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Australia and New Zealand market.

Of those fans who have an interest in women’s sport, 51% are men and 49% women, which provides equal opportunity to engage both male and female fans.

Interest levels in the women’s versions of specific sports tend to be greater when men’s and women’s events are staged together often, for example, track and field, tennis, triathlon, mixed martial arts and extreme/action sports.

Of the general population across the eight markets surveyed, 45% would consider attending a live women’s sporting event, and 46% said they would watch more if women’s sports were accessible on free TV.

For rights holders, brands and the media, this represents a chance to develop a new commercial proposition and engage fans in a different way.