Unlocking the Value of Women’s Sports Advertising
As women’s sports continue to gain momentum, advertisers are seeking new ways to maximize their investments in this rapidly growing arena. According to WPP Media’s latest report, advertising in women’s sports environments is proving to be a powerful strategy for brands looking to connect with elusive, high-value audiences.
The Rise of Women’s Sports Audiences
Women’s sports have entered a transformative era, with viewership and advertiser interest both surging. In 2025 alone, ad spending in women’s sports jumped 69% year-over-year to $127 million, while impressions soared by 79% to over 15 billion. These impressive figures underscore the growing recognition of women’s sports as a unique platform for impactful brand building.
WPP Media’s “The Women’s Sports Playbook,” developed in partnership with EDO, Adverteyes, and VideoAmp, highlights that advertising in women’s sports delivers, on average, 20% higher engagement than ads in non-sports broadcast and cable environments. This makes women’s sports an essential channel for brands seeking to boost attention and drive action among consumers.
Five Principles for Effective Women’s Sports Investments
The report outlines five actionable principles to help advertisers elevate their outcomes in the women’s sports space:
- Embrace Authentic, Athlete-Led Storytelling: Creative that features athletes and tells authentic stories delivers significant performance lifts. One sportswear brand experienced a remarkable 426% engagement boost when athlete-driven campaigns aired during women’s sports compared to non-sports programming.
- Prioritize Empowerment-Focused Narratives: Ads rooted in empowerment themes consistently sustain higher engagement, resonating deeply with women’s sports audiences.
- Leverage Platform-Native Creative: Tailoring content to the platform matters. For example, 15-second connected TV ads outperformed 30-second spots in high-energy contexts, and social-first vertical content scored highly for attention. Simplified storytelling also led to up to three times higher attention than fast-cut formats.
- Optimize Early Brand Cues and Focal Clarity: The report stresses that micro-level creative decisions, such as introducing brand cues earlier and clarifying the focal point, can significantly improve ad performance.
- Maximize the Women’s Sports Environment: The unique atmosphere of women’s sports consistently drives superior engagement. One automotive brand saw a 75% higher average engagement for ads in women’s sports versus non-sports linear programming, and Google Pixel ads in women’s basketball delivered a 284% lift in performance over non-sports TV benchmarks.
Case Studies: Brands Reaping the Rewards
Several brands have already seen impressive results from advertising in women’s sports. Ally Financial, for instance, announced a multiyear partnership with the WNBA and reported 85% higher ad engagement during women’s sports broadcasts compared to its average outside live sports. A single Ally ad during professional women’s basketball delivered 3.4 times the impact of a typical non-live sports spot.
Google Pixel’s strategic placements in women’s sports environments yielded nearly three times higher impact compared to the brand’s overall average. Creative featuring dynamic game action and contextually relevant storytelling resonated most with audiences, reinforcing the importance of aligning campaigns with the excitement of live sports.
The Power of High-Value, Hard-to-Reach Audiences
Women’s sports audiences are not only growing in size but also represent valuable consumer segments. Viewers are 20% to 68% more likely to have household incomes of $200,000 or more than the general population. Additionally, cord-cutters—those who have moved away from traditional cable—are still highly engaged with women’s sports, allowing brands to reach otherwise hard-to-access consumers.
Commitment to a Thriving Women’s Sports Marketplace
WPP Media’s commitment to building a dedicated women’s sports marketplace is evident. In 2024, the company exceeded its pledge to double annual media spend in women’s sports advertising, with over 20 brands, including Adidas, Target, Unilever, and Mars, expanding their investments in the space. This collective effort signals a new era for both brands and athletes, as well as the leagues and audiences they serve.
Conclusion: Seizing the Opportunity
The findings from WPP Media’s “The Women’s Sports Playbook” make a compelling case for advertising in women’s sports. Brands that embrace authentic storytelling, empowerment themes, platform-tailored creative, and the unique energy of women’s sports environments are poised to capture heightened engagement and meaningful action. As this marketplace continues to expand, advertisers who invest strategically will not only achieve stronger results but also contribute to the ongoing rise of women’s athletics.
This article is inspired by content from Original Source. It has been rephrased for originality. Images are credited to the original source.