By: Zachary Knight

Basketball and the U.S. and England Women’s Soccer Leagues all saw an increase in interest from 2023 to 2024. Interest in women’s sports is on the rise across the board, and although some sports are gaining more attention than others, the entire world of women’s sports has more eyes on it every year. 

A quote from the Nielsen study provides more perspective on WNBA fans. They wrote, “Compared to other sports fans, WNBA fans are much more likely to engage with a brand online, talk about the brand with friends and family and actually make purchases.” WNBA fans aren’t casual fans, they’re loyal viewers that love the sport and appreciate the culture around it.

Compared to men’s sports, women’s sports are beginning to break through and stand tall alongside the numbers that men’s sports are pulling. According to an NCAA article, last season’s final March Madness women’s game was the most watched women’s college basketball game ever, as well as the most watched men’s or women’s game since 2019. That game’s viewership is a massive landmark in the growth that women’s sports has seen in recent years. It marked the first time a women’s title game exceeded the viewership of the men’s title game, and thanks to stars like Caitlin Clark, women’s sports are gaining even more viewership today.

Contrary to what people may think, a large percentage of women’s sports viewers are male. The Nielsen study claims that 43% of women’s sports fans are male, and that they tend to be younger men. With a strong, loyal base of fans that are young and engaged, women’s sports can continue to grow and reach new heights in the coming years.

The 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament continued the trend, with the championship game pulling millions of viewers. Without stars like Caitlin Clark on the court, viewership numbers were lower than 2022’s historic game, which was watched by 18.87 million people. But, this year's game maintained a strong audience of 8.5 million on ABC, making it the third most watched women’s basketball game ever. The only two games with higher viewership were the championship games from 2024 and 2004. This year’s tournament also had 20 games with over 1 million viewers. As the tournament grows, so will the number of eyes on it, leading to more women’s sports fans. 

As more people watch women’s sports, they may begin to shift their focus and conceptualizations of women in society. Looking at this through the cultivation theory framing, we can see the ways that women’s sports viewership has already had an impact. Women’s sports are producing stars now. People are familiar with names like Juju Watkins or Caitlin Clark, and as the consumer and viewer base for women’s sports continue to grow, the people watching will continue to adapt their perceptions and perspectives. Women’s sports can continue to grow and develop, gaining more viewers and helping to shift the narrative around the sport.