Women’s Sports Are Growing, But Has the Sports World Actually Changed?

Photo by John Mac via WikiMedia Commons

Kylee Nickel | Sports Editor

For years, women’s sports were struggling to receive the same attention as men’s sports. Their
games were often held in smaller arenas, with less television coverage, and they received less
revenue. Fortunately, the gap between men’s and women’s sports is slowly starting to close as
more fans are tuning in and major companies are investing in the women’s athletes and leagues.

The growth has been most noticeable in the WNBA. Iowa star Caitlin Clark became one of the
biggest names in college sports during her career, helping bring increased attention to women’s
basketball. Her popularity became known as the “Caitlin Clark Effect,” as games featuring Iowa
regularly sold out and attracted record television audiences.

The impact of Clark’s popularity has continued even after she left college basketball. According
to Forbes, women’s college basketball viewership grew 33% year over year in 2026. The 2026
NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship also attracted 9.9 million viewers.

McKinsey research shows that this growth is happening across women’s sports, not just
basketball. Between 2022 and 2024, revenue from women’s sports grew 4.5 times faster than
revenue from men’s sports. McKinsey also found that four out of five U.S. sports fans follow
women’s sports, while 60% of women’s sports fans began following them within the past five
years.

Fans are also showing their interest in person. Average attendance at women’s sporting events
increased 55% between 2021 and 2024. The WNBA and National Women’s Soccer League
combined generated approximately $225 million in ticket revenue in 2024, an increase of about
60% from the previous year.

Television networks are noticing the change as well. ESPN has become one of the major media
companies investing in women’s sports. McKinsey reported that the WNBA’s upcoming media
deal will have an average annual value of $200 million, more than three times the league’s
previous $60 million annual deal. ESPN’s new agreement for NCAA women’s basketball was
also worth 10 times more than its previous deal.

The increase in viewers and investment is creating opportunities for athletes, but pay remains an
important issue. Forbes reported that Caitlin Clark earned $78,066 during her first WNBA
season, while the average NBA player salary for the 2025-26 season was more than $10.5
million. Although women’s professional sports are becoming more profitable, the salaries of
many female athletes have not increased at the same pace.

Still, there are signs that compensation is beginning to catch up with the popularity of women’s
sports. The WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement includes a $7 million salary cap for
the 2026 season and introduces a revenue-sharing model. The NWSL has also continued to
increase player compensation as the league’s audience grows.

McKinsey estimates that U.S. women’s sports could generate at least $2.5 billion for rights
holders by 2030, representing a 250% increase from the approximately $1 billion generated in 2024. Sponsorships, ticket sales and media rights are expected to make up much of that growth.

Despite progress, women’s sports still account for less than 2% of the total U.S. sports market.
McKinsey found that women’s sports continue to receive less media coverage and generate less
revenue per viewer than men’s sports. Access can also be a problem, with many women’s games
still spread across different streaming and television platforms.

The rapid growth of women’s sports shows that the audience has always been there; it simply
needed more opportunities to watch. From packed arenas to record television audiences and
growing sponsorship deals, women’s sports are becoming a larger part of the sports industry.

The next challenge is making sure the athletes benefit from that growth. As more fans,
companies and media organizations invest in women’s sports, the question is no longer whether
people are interested. The question is how far the industry will go to match that interest with
equal opportunities and pay.