The FIFA Women’s World Cup has ended and, with it, consciousness, reflection and opportunities have arisen. An even more impactful tournament for what it is to follow in women’s football rather than the record-breaking results it brought. A seed to be watered.
Here are some of the top accomplishments from the last month:
• More than 1 billion TV viewers worldwide in more than 200 countries
• A global fan attendance higher than 1.1m, close to 75% of occupancy
• 57,900 fans crowded Groupama Stadium in Lyon to live the final
• USWNT jersey became the best-selling football jersey ever on Nike.com
Nevertheless, from my perspective, these are not the biggest milestones global women’s football has reached through this intense World Cup:
• Women’s football has demonstrated it awakens interest worldwide
• It can reach the highest level of sports entertainment on and off the field
• Offers a unique experience that can potentially lead to big profitability
• The tournament has been vastly present in daily news and word-of-mouth
Having said that, the next chapter is up to us. As sports business executives, in our control is having a look at the mirror and leveraging this path. Women’s football is headed to a bright future as long as we, as clubs, leagues, federations and other stakeholders, are able to respect, recognize and contribute accordingly.
Rather than an obligation, a rising market-demand to fulfill in order to stay competitive and make our fans feel proud of our sports property, which is eventually always the most profitable journey.
A great example of advancing towards a future where we extend this inspiration, enthusiasm and commitment with women’s football is the latest Budweiser campaign #WontStopWatching. Budweiser is an official supporter of the US women’s national team.
This article was written by Xavi Bové form the Marketing Team at the Sports Business Institute Barcelona. To contact Xavi directly you can reach him at xavi.bove@sbibarcelona.com.
Image Source: Fifa.com
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Every four years, millions cheer on the USWNT as they take on the world. We roar for them. We sing for them. We watch them more than any team in American history ...
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