The Opportunities For Sponsors In Women’s Sport In 2023
2022 will be remembered as monumental time for women’s sport. As the new year approaches, Jenny Mitton, Director & Women’s Sport Lead at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment takes look back at the past 12 months and strides forward within sport and the opportunities for 2023.
Women’s sport in 2022. What just happened?
Whilst we all expected some growth thanks to a home Women’s Euros, I don’t think anyone expected the movement of change we’ve just witnessed.
Let’s recap a few of the highlights.
We have to start with the Lionesses bringing football home. Over the summer we saw the nation gripped by women’s football with stadiums selling out across the country. 80% of ticket purchasers at general sale were unknown to UEFA or the FA, the tournament was bringing new fans into the game.
Post tournament these new fans sought out more women’s football, giving the domestic game a huge boost. Sky reported a 70% increase in viewership for the Barclays Women’s Super League and matchday attendance went up by 200%.
48 hours after the Women’s Euros final the Lionesses crashed the FA website when their fixture against the USA at Wembley went on sale (selling out within 24 hours). Suddenly, we saw the kind of demand we’re used to in men’s sport.
TikTok became the Women’s Six Nations’ sponsor; it was a partnership that at first raised eyebrows but went on to transform the women’s Championship in one season and was described by Six Nations CMO, Sarah Beattie, as ‘a fantastic shot in the arm for the sport.’
History was made at The O2 with the first ever all-female UK boxing card, selling out the arena and showcasing the same intense rivalry we’re used to seeing in men’s boxing.
Women’s rugby fans packed out pubs at 6am in the morning to watch the Red Roses play New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup Final.
And former Lioness Jill Scott was crowned Queen of the Jungle on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. 11 million people tuned into the final and saw Jill embrace her girlfriend as she emerged as this year’s winner. It was a win for women’s sport but also for same sex relationships which are not only not celebrated in men’s sport, they’re not seen.
I could go on. And on. But 2023 planning waits for no-one, and you want to know what’s coming next. So, let’s get to the key question.
Why will 2023 be even bigger?
MORE RECORDS WILL BE BROKEN
A week doesn’t seem to go by without a Barclays Women’s Super League record being broken. On Sunday, we saw Man City Women set a new record at the Etihad Stadium with 44,259 fans turning up for the Manchester derby.
The TikTok Women’s Six Nations is already breaking records five months out from the tournament, with almost 30,000 tickets sold for England vs France at Twickenham. The 2022 record was just over 15,000 fans. Quite the jump.
Expect bigger and more significant records to be broken across women’s sport in 2023. And what brand doesn’t want to be aligned to progress.
STANDALONE DEALS
As contracts come to an end, expect more rights holders to unbundle the women’s rights from the men’s offering standalone partnerships.
Always at the forefront of pushing boundaries, Man City have started announcing some big hitter standalone deals. Their first is with women’s clothing brand, The Fold, which become the official formal wear partner of Man City Women, the first British womenswear brand to partner with a Barclays WSL club.
Brands can expect better access, more innovative rights, and less competition within the space.
UNTAPPED SPORTS
Whilst we’ve seen an influx of sponsors in women’s football and rugby launch major campaigns, we’re yet to see a brand capitalise on women’s cricket. Which is surprising as cricket is England’s second most loved sport.
With a strong international team and a thriving domestic game, thanks to The Hundred, women’s cricket offers white space for a brand looking to make its mark.
NEW TOURNAMENTS
In 2023, we’ll see the launch of World Rugby’s WXV international rugby tournament – a format the men’s game would love to replicate (if it wasn’t for all those historic deals and outdated structures).
Anyone who watched the World Cup this October will be salivating at the opportunity to see regular world class women’s rugby. Thanks to the annual global platform the tournament will provide, we’ll see more unions place their teams under full-time contracts, and with contracts comes high-quality rugby.
This shift will allow more opportunities for brands to get involved with one of the fastest growing sports globally.
CAN WE BRING IT HOME, AGAIN?
Never underestimate the effect of England’s win. As a nation, we like to tell ourselves it’s something we’re not very good at. But, in women’s sport, we excel. I don’t need to tell you how significant winning the Women’s World Cup would be. What’s more, it’s in our reach.
2022, yes, it was a big deal.
2023 however, will see women’s sport move from being moments of growth based around major events into an unstoppable movement. And there’s room for your brand to jump on board.
