Women’s sports continue to grow in popularity — and cities hosting competitions are reaping the benefits.
A study led by Ernst and Young found that the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 tournament generated $91.1 million in economic activity for the English cities that hosted the matches, with $49.5 million in total spectator spending across game days and trips.
Between domestic and international visitors, more than 552,000 day and overnight trips were made to the host cities, according to the study.
- Match attendance across the tournament totaled 574,875.
- Of that sum, there were 110,555 international spectators from 104 countries.
- The Euro final drew a record 87,192 fans to London’s Wembley Stadium.
Ernst and Young reported that 85% of spectators say they’re likely to attend professional international and domestic women’s soccer events in the future.
Media Mania
The study also found that since the last Women’s Euros, there had been a 289% increase in media rights values.
The tournament was the most-watched Women’s Euros ever with a projected viewership of 365 million across all matches.
Of the event’s spectators, 84% said the tournament improved their perception of women’s soccer, with 88% stating they’re likely to watch a women’s soccer event on TV in the future.
