The Women’s World Cup will be the turning point for sponsorship of women’s sport in Australia
Women’s sport is finally starting to get the attention it deserves. Wavemaker’s Jayden Harris tracks the sponsorship status of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Women’s sport has come a long way over the past two decades, and as Australia and New Zealand prepare to host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the sheer excitement among fans, players and sponsors is reaching fever pitch.
Sport has been an integral part of my life since I can remember, much like many Australians. Growing up, I actively participated in various activities such as Nippers, Oztag, Touch Football, gymnastics, and now basketball. Not to mention frequently finding myself engrossed in the world of rugby union and rugby league as a spectator.
For numerous Australians, there exists a cherished sporting event that holds a special place in their hearts. In my case, that event is the Sydney Olympic Games. As a kindergartener, I vividly recall embarking on a school excursion to witness the brilliance of the Olympics.
Being a young gymnast during that time, I possessed extensive knowledge about the Olympics. Gymnastics, naturally, resonated with me as it felt like an attainable aspiration for a young girl, given its strong emphasis on female athletes.
For the Soccer World Cup, tickets for the tournament have been selling like hot cakes, with the Matildas’ opening match against the Republic of Ireland moved to a bigger stadium – Stadium Australia, capacity: 80,000 – due to sheer demand from fans.
At last count, FIFA reported more than 1.1 million tickets had been sold across all 64 matches, with the updated figure expected to be higher, while commentators are predicting it will be the most attended women’s sporting event in history.
Australian media coverage of the Women’s World Cup has been generally positive, with media broadcast partners delivering extensive coverage. Optus sport will be showing every single match and free-to-air broadcasting partner Seven will have 15 matches live and free. Both partners have created a range of innovative plans to ensure Australians have the best possible coverage of the entire 64-game tournament.
Access is now much more ubiquitous (as it should be), with Australians able to watch the games live on TV or online, while a daily highlights program is also planned by Seven. This extensive coverage of all the games throughout the tournament will heighten the excitement of fans, helping elevate women’s sport to greater heights.
This is, without exaggeration, a great time for women’s sport in Australia.
Australia is ahead of other markets
Elsewhere in the world, the media has been much slower on the uptake. In previous Women’s World Cups, broadcasters gained TV rights through bundled packages with the men’s World Cup but FIFA invited bids for this year’s tournament as a separate entity. In response, broadcasters dragged their feet on striking deals by offering low bids – posing the real threat of TV blackouts, which would prevent certain matches from being broadcast, and demonstrating their lack of interest in women’s sport.
It was only on 14 June, a mere 36 days before the start of the competition, that the “Big 5” soccer nations (UK, Spain, France, Germany and Italy) announced they had extended their agreement with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), thus eliminating the threat of a blackout. Talk about cutting it fine.
The situation is worse for the 2021 tournament winners and 2015 finalists, Japan, where fans still face the threat of a blackout as the country’s broadcasters have yet to strike a deal with governing body FIFA. Failure to reach an agreement could be a huge blow to the development of the sport in the country, and to the opportunity for brands to reach engaged sports fans.
Sponsorship turning point
2022 was a huge year for women’s sport globally. In the US, audience analytics company Samba TV marked women’s sport as delivering the fastest-growing TV audience numbers, while record-breaking attendance at live events is being recorded worldwide.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup presents a distinct opportunity for brands to demonstrate their support for women’s sport, expand their global visibility, engage with diverse audiences, and strengthen their brand equity. By actively participating in such an event, brands can be perceived as socially responsible, forward-thinking, and inclusive, leading to a positive sentiment in the eyes of the consumer.
In Australia, this is doubtless a turning point for sponsorship of women’s sport, with high-profile brands lining up to fund the sport to drive change and equality. It’s highly visible around Sydney, and it’s incredible to see Woolies stores converted and Commonwealth Bank billboards lit up in all their glory.
At Wavemaker, our long-term partner Mondelez has been backing the Matildas since 2020 (with a commitment to 2026). Cadbury has used its partnership to successfully launch its ‘Get In The Game’ campaign, with a goal to combat barriers and help women in sport feel seen, appreciated, and supported. The newly launched ‘Cheer and a Half’ campaign aims to help fans celebrate women athletes – young and pro – in all the ways the world’s male athletes are always celebrated.
On a global scale, Wavemaker client Adobe is showing its support of women’s sport through sponsorship of the National Women’s Soccer League in the US, as the official creativity partner of the league. The sponsorship brings together creativity and women’s sports in a unique way to advance equity and level the playing field for all.
FIFA’s website lists a total of 10 global sponsors of the Women’s World Cup – four more than the 2019 edition, but four fewer than the number of global sponsors who signed up for the 2022 men’s event.
As brands and fans alike open up to the potential of women’s sports, I’m confident that by the next tournament in four years’ time, the number of global sponsors will be the same across the men’s and women’s tournaments.
What’s next?
It may not have reached the heights of the men’s tournament – yet – but the FIFA Women’s World Cup is well on the way to correcting historical discrepancies. What we do know is that it is going to be THE moment for women’s sport in Australia.
Women currently represent 26% of players, however Football Australia has bold ambitions to drive this participation to a 50/50 split by 2027.
Following the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the growth of the game hinges on increased participation. The transformative power of soccer can begin with a young girl simply watching a game alongside her parents, initiating her own remarkable journey.
I, too, was once that young girl captivated by the magic of sports. My pivotal moment occurred during the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Despite initially pursuing gymnastics, witnessing the inspiring performance of Lauren Jackson and the Opals basketball team shifted my trajectory. Their triumphant run of winning their first seven games, culminating in a historic gold medal match against the USA, left an indelible impression on me.
From that moment forward, basketball became my passion, and I have been actively playing ever since.
It all starts somewhere, and the smart marketers will be there from the start of the journey.
On the 20th of July, back the sport, back the girls and back the progression of women’s sport. GO THE MATILDAS!
Jayden Harris is a content and partnerships manager at Wavemaker Australia.
