Despite growth, women's football receives far less media coverage than men's football. A study by Women in Sport in 2024 found that women's football accounts for 5% of total football coverage in UK media, despite generating 10-15% of football-related engagement on social media.
This gap is driven by:
- Historical bias — sports media has traditionally focused on men's sports
- Paywall barriers — WSL matches on Sky Sports reach fewer viewers than free-to-air BBC coverage
- Scheduling — WSL matches are often scheduled at the same time as Premier League matches, reducing visibility
4. International competition
The WSL faces competition from other European leagues:
- Spain's Liga F — Barcelona Femení is the dominant force in European women's football, winning the Champions League in 2021 and 2023
- Germany's Frauen-Bundesliga — historically the strongest women's league, though now overtaken by the WSL and Liga F
- France's Division 1 Féminine — Lyon has won the Champions League 8 times (more than any other club)
The WSL is currently the second-strongest league in Europe (behind Spain's Liga F), but it must continue to invest to maintain its position.
The Future: Where Is Women's Football Headed?
Short-term (2025-2030)
- Broadcasting revenue growth — the next WSL TV deal (2027-30) is expected to be worth £20-30 million per year, driven by increased viewership and competition from streaming platforms (Amazon, DAZN)
- Profitability — the WSL is projected to break even by 2030, with top clubs (Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United) becoming profitable by 2027-28
- Attendance growth — average WSL attendance is projected to reach 10,000 per match by 2030 (up from 6,894 in 2023-24)
- Salary growth — average WSL salaries are projected to reach £100,000 per year by 2030 (up from £47,000 in 2023-24)
Long-term (2030+)
- Global expansion — women's football is growing rapidly in the US (NWSL), Australia (A-League Women), and Asia (WE League in Japan), creating a global market for players and broadcasting rights
- Commercial parity — women's football will never match men's football in revenue, but it could realistically reach 10-15% of men's revenue by 2040 (similar to women's tennis vs men's tennis)
- Cultural embedding — as younger generations grow up watching women's football, it will become a permanent part of the sporting scene, not a novelty
The Bottom Line
The 2022 Women's Euros final at Wembley drew 87,192 fans (a European championship record for any gender), while the 2023 Women's World Cup final had 75,784 in attendance and 2 billion global viewers. The Women's Super League (WSL) average attendance grew from 1,128 in 2014-15 to 6,894 in 2023-24, with Arsenal and Chelsea regularly selling out 40,000+ capacity stadiums. WSL broadcasting rights increased from £0 (free-to-air only) in 2018 to £8 million per year in the 2024-27 deal with Sky Sports and BBC, though this is still 0.5% of the men's Premier League deal.
The average WSL player salary is £47,000 per year (2023-24), compared to £3.1 million for Premier League players, but top players like Sam Kerr earn £400,000+ per year. Participation in grassroots women's football in England increased 60% from 2015 to 2024, with 3.4 million women and girls playing regularly. The growth is driven by England's success (Euro 2022 win, World Cup 2023 final), increased investment from clubs, free-to-air broadcasting, and a cultural shift among younger generations. Most WSL clubs operate at a loss (£20-30 million league-wide), but the league is projected to break even by 2030 if current growth continues. Women's football will never match men's football in revenue, but it is growing faster than men's football did at a similar stage of development.
Key takeaways
- The 2022 Women's Euros final at Wembley drew 87,192 fans (a European championship record for any gender), while the 2023 Women's World Cup final had 75,784 in attendance and 2 billion global viewers
- The Women's Super League (WSL) average attendance grew from 1,128 in 2014-15 to 6,894 in 2023-24, with Arsenal and Chelsea regularly selling out 40,000+ capacity stadiums
- WSL broadcasting rights increased from £0 (free-to-air only) in 2018 to £8 million per year in the 2024-27 deal with Sky Sports and BBC, though this is still 0.5% of the men's Premier League deal
- The average WSL player salary is £47,000 per year (2023-24), compared to £3.1 million for Premier League players, but top players like Sam Kerr earn £400,000+ per year
- Participation in grassroots women's football in England increased 60% from 2015 to 2024, with 3.4 million women and girls playing regularly
Sources
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