Women’s sports may not be the traditional thing that comes to mind when we think of sports, sports fans, sports channels, or sports bars, but viewership of women’s sports is definitely on the rise, and it may be time for our automatic thoughts to change.
One example of skyrocketing women’s sports interest is in the arena of the National Womens’ Soccer League. In 2020, the NWSL broke viewership records by nearly 300% at 653,000 views. In fact, the 2020 NWSL challenge cup drew about the same number of views as an MLB game which aired at the same time.
While it used to air only with subscription services, now women’s sports can be viewed as the first and last games aired on CBS. The new month-long tournament schedule is also adding to the appeal and viewing opportunities.
While there are still certainly stereotypes alive and well when it comes to sports and sports fans, things are shifting quickly. The number of male sports fans vs. female is actually less divided than you might think. In fact sports fans are made up of 49% women and 51% men, and 84% of sports fans are interested in women’s sports.
Women’s sports is finally gaining the attention it deserves, and it’s about time!
