By Sabrina Guidry
For the first time ever, the women's sports market is projected to surpass $2.5 billion in global revenue by the end of 2025. This revenue surge is driven by the rise of sports leagues like the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), which is projected to reach $1 billion in revenue this year, and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), which is projected to bring in over $66 million in team sponsorship revenue alone. In particular, projections for the WNBA’s 2025 revenue have surpassed $1 billion, up by around 43% from $710 million in 2024. Star players, such as Caitlyn Clark and Paige Bueckers, have introduced the league to tens of thousands of new fans, driving revenue and jersey sales. While the WNBA holds a significant share of the women’s sports market, it is not the only women’s sports league that has seen growing success in recent years. Forbes now estimates that all 14 clubs in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) are worth over $70 million, with an average value of $134 million. The NWSL’s 2025 revenue projections include over $66 million in team sponsorship and $39.5 million in media rights. Women’s soccer is not just growing nationally – the sport is experiencing rapid global expansion, reflected in Fifa’s $1 billion revenue goal for the 2031 Women’s World Cup, a striking difference from the $4 million generated by the 1999 Women’s World Cup. FIFA reported over 3.3 billion views from the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and that number is expected to increase significantly by 2031.
This rise in revenue and viewership is driven by increased media exposure of women’s sports, particularly soccer, and by a surge in corporate sponsorships. Social media has amplified this growth even further: athletes, such as rugby player Ilona Maher and gymnast Livvy Dunne (each with 5.3 million followers on Instagram), have introduced thousands of young fans to women’s sports. They expand the fan base in ways traditional media cannot.
Record revenue projections and the accelerating growth of the women’s sports market have prompted investors and organizations to view the sector as a high-potential social investment opportunity. Social investing aims to make a positive social and environmental impact alongside financial gain, and many corporations are incorporating women’s sports into their broader social investment strategies. The Athena Pledge, founded by Deloitte, AT&T, Capital One, and Cisco, is a first of its kind initiative aiming to boost sponsorship, media visibility, and fan engagement to advance gender parity in sports. This corporate momentum has also encouraged new investment models: earlier this year, Malala Yousafzai and her husband founded Recess Capital, a unique investment firm aiming to support women’s sports teams, leagues, and sports-adjacent ventures.
Alongside the rise of social investing, several organizations are independently working to expand the reach and visibility of women’s sports. One organization that is driving women’s sports into the future is Athlos, founded by Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder and Serena Williams’ husband. Athlos is an all-women’s track and field organization with notable Olympians such as Tara Davis-Woodhall, Marileidy Paulino, Brittany Brown, and Masai Russell. This October, Athlos hosted its very first “Athlos NYC,” an in-person event that included a performance by Ciara and a long jump competition in Times Square. The event drew 3.75 million views, demonstrating the growing interest in women’s sports, particularly in track and field. Corporate support was also strong with sponsors like Toyota and Cashapp. Tiffany & Co. made an appearance as well, and awarded bedazzled crowns to the winners of each event. Looking ahead, Athlos is set to launch an all-women’s track and field league in 2026, with team-based events in many global cities decided by the athletes themselves.
Athlos is not the only example of women taking ownership of the industry’s future. Another leading organization is Angel City FC, the NWSL’s Los Angeles club. Formed in 2020, the team has quickly become the most valuable in the league at over $280 million. Angel City is owned by numerous high-profile figures, such as Serena Williams, Billie Jean King, and several former members of the United States Women’s National Soccer Team. Through the presence of elite female athletes within the ownership group, Angel City is pioneering the future for women’s sports, one that strives towards gender parity from the top down.
Angel City FC is not the only organization where female athletes are now stepping into positions of influence to shape the future of women’s sports. Togethxr, an organization famous for their merchandise with the catchphrase “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports,” was founded by four elite female athletes: soccer star Alex Morgan, snowboarder Chloe Kim, swimmer Simone Manuel, and basketball star Sue Bird. Togethxr pushes organizations and media networks to strive towards improved coverage and support of female athletes.
After years of unequal representation, female athletes are now taking initiative and investing in the future of women’s sports, whether that be through organizations such as Togethxr, or through ownership of sports teams like Angel City FC. The potential for growth is large, and many are buying in.
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