Turning Passion into Partnership: The Business Value of Fan Data
In women’s sports, fan passion is unmatched. But passion alone doesn’t drive revenue. Data does. Teams that collect, own, and activate fan data are turning engagement into tangible business growth.
Sponsorship Growth Is Accelerating
Global revenue from women’s sports nearly doubled, rising from $981 million in 2023 to $1.88 billion in 2024, with projections to reach $2.35 billion in 2025 [1]. Sponsorship deals grew by 12% year over year, according to Marketing Brew [2].
Forbes found that 86% of sponsors said their women’s sports investments exceeded expectations [3]. These sponsors aren’t just seeking brand alignment; they want measurable ROI.
Why Fan Data Matters
Compared to all other sports fans, women's sports fans are 2.1x more likely to consider a company because of its sponsor association with their favorite teams [4]. That connection is powerful and fan data helps teams turn passion into proof. It allows them to:
- Target sponsor campaigns precisely to engaged fans
- Attribute conversions directly to digital experiences
- Build recurring engagement cycles that strengthen loyalty
A Women’s Sport Trust study found that 86% of brands felt their women’s sports partnerships delivered meaningful business results [5]. That confidence grows when sponsors can track outcomes through owned data ecosystems.
Real-World Example
The Seattle Storm’s app, built by WMT, collects engagement data across ticketing, content, and in-game interaction. This allows sponsors to understand not only reach, but true behavioral engagement.
Each feature, from personalized push notifications to in-app sponsor offers, adds measurable value for partners and helps justify larger, more innovative deals.
Turning Data into Revenue
To make this shift, teams should:
- Audit all data sources (CRM, email, ticketing, app analytics)
- Focus on collecting first-party data via logins and personalization
- Build campaigns with built-in tracking and transparent reporting
- Share sponsor dashboards that prove ROI
In addition, deploying a robust fan-identity layer means every individual fan becomes a trackable profile—allowing teams to capture longitudinal engagement, behavioral trends and purchase intent. With this visibility you can segment fans meaningfully, personalize content and offers in real-time and unlock higher revenue opportunities (ticket upgrades, merchandise, premium digital experiences).
Fan passion is the spark. Data turns it into sustainable revenue.
Sources
[1] Deloitte: Women’s Elite Sports Exceed Expectations
[2] Marketing Brew: Women’s Sports Sponsorship Deals Are Growing Rapidly
[3] Forbes: Women’s Sports Growth Is a Win for Investors, Brands, and the Planet
[4] Vision Insights Decoder
[5] Women’s Sport Trust: Brand Decision Report 2024