Donovan McNabb and the State of Football
The popularity of women’s soccer is steadily rising in England — and now, the country’s top league is setting its sights on record revenue.
The Women’s Super League believes it can surpass $1 billion in total annual revenue (league and club) within the next decade. “There’s no reason why we shouldn’t do it,” said WSL chair Dawn Airey.
This summer, England reached the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, drawing historic domestic viewership numbers along the way. This latest success followed last year’s victory at the UEFA Women’s Euro, which at the time set records of its own.
In 2022, the WSL achieved a record revenue sum of just over $40 million among its 12 clubs — which means there’s a long way to go to reach the league’s goal. But overall, the WSL’s metrics are trending up.
Last season, match attendance was up by 173% year-over-year, with a total of 664,000 fans watching games in person. The WSL is receiving nearly $10 million a season from domestic media partners BBC and Sky Sports, while league title sponsor Barclays is investing nearly $40 million.
Last week, Manchester City Women became the first WSL club to complete a facility naming rights agreement separate from a partnering men’s club. The U.K. government is also launching a new Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator, which will allow professional women’s leagues, teams, competitions, and events to apply for funding.
