It has been a week in which Women’s Sport has been to the fore, where global numbers in terms of growth have been published that pain a very positive picture, and where the irish Women’s Rugby team among others put on a wonderful show of sports endeavour in France, televised live and free to air to inspire future generations.

But it has also been one where the visibility in Irish newspaper media has been questioned.

But let’s focus on the positive first.

Women’s sport is no longer a niche proposition building quietly on the margins of the global sporting landscape. It is now a fast-emerging commercial force, attracting investment, reshaping fan engagement, and establishing itself as a distinct and valuable asset class within the wider sports industry.

That is the central conclusion of Deloitte’s latest report, Game Changers: Unlocking the Potential of Women’s Sport, which charts both the scale of recent growth and the structural work still required to sustain it.

At the headline level, the numbers are striking. Deloitte forecasts that the global women’s elite sports market will reach at least $3 billion (€2.8 billion) in 2026, up from more than $2.4 billion in 2025. That represents a 248% increase from 2022 to 2025, and a projected 340% uplift by 2026 — a rate of growth that few sectors in global sport can match.

But beyond the headline figures, the report makes a more nuanced argument, that women’s sport is currently navigating what can best be described as a “start-up phase”, where rapid expansion must be balanced with the deliberate building of long-term foundations.

Commercial growth leading the way

The primary driver of this growth is commercial revenue, which accounted for 46% of total income in 2025 and is expected to remain dominant at around 45% in 2026.

This reflects a broadening sponsorship landscape. Brands from sectors such as beauty, fashion and technology are entering women’s sport in increasing numbers, drawn by a fanbase that is younger, more diverse, and more digitally engaged than traditional audiences.

The report highlights that success in this space is not simply about replicating models from men’s sport. Instead, organisations that invest in understanding their audiences — building detailed fan personas and enabling authentic brand activation — are best positioned to unlock long-term value.

There is also a growing role for “value-in-kind” partnerships, particularly in developing sports. These non-cash agreements provide access to services, expertise or infrastructure that can accelerate growth, even if they are not immediately reflected in revenue figures.

Importantly, the commercial upside remains underdeveloped relative to its potential. In US college sport, for example, women’s sports revenue grew 4.5 times faster than men’s between 2022 and 2024 — a signal of both demand and untapped opportunity.

Broadcast visibility transforming the landscape

Broadcast revenue is also gaining momentum, particularly in North America, where landmark deals are redefining the scale of investment.

The most notable example is the Women’s National Basketball Association, which has agreed a $2.2 billion, 11-year media rights deal beginning in 2026 — the largest in women’s sports history.

While standalone deals like this are critical, the report also points to the growing importance of bundled rights agreements, where women’s competitions are packaged alongside men’s events. These arrangements, common in sports such as tennis, are increasing exposure and accelerating mainstream visibility.

In Europe, rising audiences for major events — including the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 and the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 — underline a broader shift in consumption patterns.

New platforms are also emerging to support this visibility. Dedicated outlets such as the All Women’s Sports Network are expanding global access, while regional partnerships, including broadcast agreements with leagues in the Middle East, signal a widening geographical footprint.

Reinventing the matchday experience

While media and sponsorship dominate the revenue mix, matchday income remains an important — and evolving — component.

Women’s sports organisations are increasingly rethinking the live event experience, moving beyond traditional ticket sales to create more inclusive, family-oriented environments.

Fan zones, community engagement initiatives and interactive experiences are becoming standard features, helping to differentiate women’s sport from more established models.

This innovation is partly driven by necessity. With lower levels of repeat attendance compared to men’s sport, there is a greater emphasis on building loyalty through data, personalised engagement, and targeted marketing.

The aim is not simply to fill stadiums, but to cultivate long-term relationships with fans who may be new to the sporting ecosystem.

Building for sustainability, not just speed

Despite the rapid growth, the report cautions against the temptation to scale too quickly without establishing the necessary foundations.

As capital flows into the sector, there is increasing pressure to deliver both financial returns and competitive success. However, Deloitte argues that sustainable progress depends on investing in core structures — governance, leadership, infrastructure, and player welfare.

This includes creating clear pathways for athlete development, ensuring transparency and accountability at organisational level, and building business models that can withstand fluctuations in market conditions.

Crucially, investors are beginning to recognise that women’s sport is not simply a short-term commercial opportunity, but a long-term play with broader social and cultural returns.

A bigger market, not a shared one

One of the more important insights in the report is the rejection of the idea that women’s sport is competing directly with men’s sport for a fixed share of the market.

Instead, it is expanding the market itself.

Women’s sport is attracting new audiences — often younger, more family-focused, and digitally native — who may not have previously engaged with traditional sports products. This is creating new revenue streams rather than redistributing existing ones.

Merchandising is a clear example. While demand is high, particularly among female consumers who often drive household spending, supply has historically been limited. That gap is now being addressed through more tailored and community-driven retail offerings.

The conclusion of the report is clear that women’s sport has moved beyond potential and into delivery. The growth is real, the investment is accelerating, and the audience is expanding.

For leagues, teams, and governing bodies, the challenge is to convert momentum into sustainability, to move from rapid expansion to long-term stability, without losing the distinct identity that has made women’s sport such a compelling proposition.

If that balance can be achieved, the current surge will prove not just transformative, but enduring.

The Drag Factor in Irish Legacy Media

And yet, despite the positivity, there was a letter in the Irish Times on tuesday bemoaning the lack of coverage in that paper after a weekend where Irish Women’s sport was prominent in Rugby, Football, Sailing, Hockey, Gaelic Games and a myriad of other sports.

It was highlighted that it was page five of the sports supplement before the first mention of Women’s sport. “The greatest disappointment was not the imbalance but the ordering. Page after page was devoted to men’s coverage before women got a mention. This sequencing sends a clear message about what is valued, what is prioritised and ultimately, what is deemed worthy of attention,” wrote Eimear Martin of County Wicklow.

A glance at the sports pages of the same paper this morning reveal that of the 16 images across the four and a half pages of sport, 15 were of men, and one of women, in a column written by Sonia O’Sullivan rather than in the news.

There has been progress made in broadcast, on radio, and in online coverage. Sport ireland are funding a significant project to determine actual visibility. so maybe let’s get back to the positive and perhaps the lack of coverage in the traditional bastions of sport in printed newspapers has just slipped off the radar of what the wider public sees as being sport in 2026.

 

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Image Credit: Deloitte

 

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