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The New Era of Fan Engagement in Women’s Sports

Fan engagement in women’s sports is no longer a goal; it’s a competitive battleground. As audiences grow and expectations rise, teams that lean into digital-first experiences are the ones capturing attention, loyalty, and revenue.

Fans Want More Than Just a Game

Over the last few years, women’s sports viewership has been quietly surging. S&P Global data shows that roughly 73% of fans who follow the WNBA or FIFA Women’s Soccer watch live sports at least weekly [1]. That level of habit is rare and signals that fans of women’s leagues are deeply invested.

Social channels back this up. During May and June 2025, Blinkfire reported that women’s sports content dominated the Top 10 social engagement charts, with eight of the top 10 properties belonging to WNBA teams [2]. This is the result of digital-first storytelling and community-centric content.

Meanwhile, media coverage has grown dramatically. Women’s sports now make up approximately 15% of overall sports media coverage, up from low single digits just a few years ago [3]. The window is wide open, and audiences are primed for more than just broadcasts.

What Fan Engagement Means in 2025

Engagement today is not a single metric or campaign; it’s a continuum of digital touchpoints from pre-game anticipation to post-game connection.

Examples of strong engagement include:

  • Personalized push notifications and exclusive content
  • Interactive app features like polls, stats, and live chats
  • Seamless integrations for ticketing, navigation, and merch
  • In-venue moments connected to the app such as synchronized light shows

Each of these moments deepens the fan relationship, builds loyalty, and creates new revenue opportunities.

Why Women’s Teams Are Positioned to Win

In many ways, women’s sports have an edge in this digital moment. Female athletes often carry strong personal narratives that resonate online. According to Vision Insights, avid sports fans are morley likely to trust female athletes compared to the general population. Most frequent sports watchers hold female athletes in higher regard over other athletes [4]. That level of trust builds direct bridges into deeper team-level engagement.

Sponsorship is another factor. Forbes reports that sponsorship in women’s sports is growing 50% faster than in men’s leagues, and 86% of sponsors say their investments in women’s sports met or exceeded ROI expectations [5].

Women’s sports fans are also diverse and decisive. Nielsen notes that 43% of women’s sports fans are male [6]. This mix creates a valuable demographic that brands are eager to reach. 

What the Best Fan Engagement Looks Like

The Seattle Storm partnership with WMT demonstrates how these ideas come to life. Their platform includes:

  • Full ticketing integration with Ticketmaster and Climate Pledge Arena
  • Live WNBA data feeds for schedules, rosters, and news
  • A modern interface aligned to the Storm’s brand identity
  • Fan accounts for personalized experiences
  • Transit resources integrated directly into the app
  • Cue Audio synchronization for light shows and in-venue experiences

This creates a connected fan ecosystem that keeps engagement within the team’s owned platform.

How Teams Can Get Started

To capitalize on this shift:

  • Audit current digital tools and identify engagement gaps
  • Focus on platform ownership rather than relying on third-party reach
  • Build scalable fan experiences like polls, data dashboards, and notifications
  • Integrate ticketing and venue information into the app
  • Use first-party data to fuel sponsor conversations

Fan engagement is now a full-time strategy, not a one-off effort. The teams that build for it will set the standard for the next decade.

Sources

[1] S&P Global: Viewership of Women’s Sports in the U.S. is on the Rise
[2] Sports Business Journal: Data Dive – Women’s Sports Dominate Early Summer Social Media
[3] Parity Impact Report: Women’s Sports Media Coverage Is Booming
[4]Vision Insights
[5] Forbes: Women’s Sports Growth Is a Win for Investors, Brands, and the Planet
[6] eMarketer: Women’s Sports Viewership Maintains Momentum, Providing an Engaged Audience for Advertisers