To help you understand the growth behind the global business of women’s sports and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You'll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest…
Look for 2024 to be a milestone year for the business of women’s sports, crossing the billion-dollar mark for the first time globally.
In fact, total revenue for elite-level women’s sports should hit nearly $1.3 billion, according to Deloitte. That’s 300% higher than the professional services company’s last analysis in 2021.
Commercial sales are driving growth, including team sponsorships and partnership deals, league-wide sponsorships, merchandising sales, licensing and other non-gameday revenue. Sales of broadcast rights and gameday revenue rank second and third for revenue segments. (Broadcast rights drive men’s revenue.)
The boom is fueled by investors seeking a growing market at a modest cost relative to men’s sports. The spending will help boost female athletics at all levels.
North America accounts for over half the global market. The two top sports are soccer ($555 million) and basketball ($354 million). Golf and tennis are big, too. The top moneymaking event? The quadrennial FIFA Women’s World Cup. The popular global soccer tournament scored more than $570 million last year.
This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter, which has been running since 1923 and is a collection of concise weekly forecasts on business and economic trends, as well as what to expect from Washington, to help you understand what’s coming up to make the most of your investments and your money. Subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter.
