Sport-Women's sport rides popularity wave to growth in 2025

NEW YORK : Major gains in television viewing and attendance at women's sports in 2024 will give way to expansion in 2025 as start-ups and established leagues alike look to take advantage of the surging interest, industry leaders and experts say.

North America's top-flight National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) both saw record viewing figures, while fans in the United Kingdom devoted more time than ever to watching the Women's Super League (WSL) and television ratings soared for Women's Premier League cricket in its second season.

Deep-pocketed investors took notice, and growth will be the theme for 2025 as the WNBA welcomes its first new franchise since 2008 when the Golden State Valkyries begin play next year.

The WNBA, which is also preparing for two more teams in 2026 in Portland and Toronto, had its most-watched regular season with 1.2 million average viewers on ESPN, according to the broadcaster, while an average of 1.6 million watched the Finals, the biggest audience in 25 years.

The league had enjoyed steady growth in recent years but the surge was helped along by a compelling rookie class led by Caitlin Clark, whose record-smashing collegiate career was a watershed moment for women's sport in the United States.

Clark will hope her extraordinary star power will help in her joint bid to bring an NWSL team to Cincinnati, as the women's soccer league considers three contenders, including Denver and Cleveland, for an fresh expansion franchise.

The league saw average viewership of 967,900 for this year's championship, up 18 per cent from 2023, the NWSL said, and is preparing to expand to 15 members when a Boston team joins in 2026.

The value of NWSL and WNBA teams is expected