The 2016-17 season was a watershed for women’s sport. In just 12 months, we have seen the national women’s rugby 7s team win Olympic gold; the inaugural AFLW season; the national netball league go to a new level with Suncorp Super Netball; and a successful second season of the rebel WBBL.
It may seem like an overnight success to some, but the rise of women’s sport has been a long time in the making.
The move towards the professionalisation of women’s sport began in 2008 with the Trans-Tasman netball league and the ANZ Championship, which saw netball become a semi-professional sport in both countries. At around this time, other sporting codes began mobilising and national women’s sporting leagues were established. Today, women’s sport has captured the national interest - thanks to the work of countless numbers of athletes, administrators, parents and coaches who have been at the forefront for over a decade.
The numbers speak for themselves
More than 24,000 fans attended the Women’s AFL opening match between Carlton and Collingwood in February 2017. In fact, it was so popular that they had to turn away fans from the gate due to the capacity of the stadium.
Over 100,000 attended the second season of the Women’s Big Bash League, with another 1.5 million watching online. For the first round of the Suncorp Super Netball, 19,559 spectators were in attendance and 850,000 watched all four games at peak viewership.
These numbers are not insignificant and with major broadcasters jumping on board, they are only set to grow.
Unsurprisingly, this has drawn the attention of savvy sponsors.
As traditional media fragments and it is harder to reach consumers, sport, arts and charity have become focal points for sponsors. We have seen brands backing men’s sport since the 1980’s and now the money is flowing into women’s sport too.
In some cases, sponsors are expanding their remit to include women’s teams as well as the men’s. For example, the NAB now sponsors both the women’s and men’s AFL. Holden sponsors both Collingwood teams and Visy and Hyundai sponsor both Carlton teams.
But women’s sport is also attracting new sponsors, including blue-chip companies such as Priceline (AFL), Nissan (grassroots netball league), and Suncorp (Suncorp Super Netball league).
AON has signed as shirt sponsor for the women’s rugby team and as naming sponsor for a new eight-team national universities competition which will begin this year. Rebel Sport has signed up as primary sponsor of the Women’s Big Bash League, having launched this year the ‘Rebel Women’ campaign which highlighted player profiles to a total of 435,000 fans, demonstrating that cricket is a viable career option for young girls everywhere.
Why companies are signing up
Moments such as the rugby sevens gold medal, Laura Geitz’ third championship with the Firebirds, and the NSW Origin win after an 18-year drought have all helped capture the hearts and minds of Australians.
Sponsors have been ready and waiting to invest in this largely untapped market because of the ROI they receive as well as the enhanced community benefit. Brands are eager to reach the primary household grocery buyer and enjoy the altruistic benefits of connecting with community. Now that women’s sport has reached a critical mass of participation and attendance, the industry and their sponsors are on a certain growth path.
Women’s sport has reached the tipping point and become part of the mainstream culture in Australia. The creation of professional leagues has brought more investment to the industry, which leads to better quality sport, greater attendance and demand for broadcasting, which then attracts more investment. The upward spiral has begun.
Over the next three years, we will see the industry consolidate as it continues its upward trajectory. With major sponsors on board and multi-year broadcasting deals in place, women’s sport will go from strength to strength. My tip for big brands wanting to invest is women’s sport grassroots leagues – this is the major growth opportunity for 2017-18.
Jack Watts, CEO of The Bastion Collective