Key Moments:
- Analysts project $2.5 billion in U.S. revenue from women’s sports by 2030, more than doubling current levels.
- FanDuel and DraftKings have reported significant increases in handle for women’s basketball events in recent years.
- Sponsorship value and brand engagement in women’s leagues have risen sharply, with media value in the WNBA up 77% year on year according to Nielsen.
Rising Audience and Operator Interest
Women’s sports are quickly entering the mainstream, with swelling stadium attendance, expanding broadcast partnerships, and accelerated brand investment. While the attention and sponsorship values for women’s leagues are growing rapidly, the sports betting segment is still in the early stages of adapting to this surge in popularity.
Analysts estimate that by 2030, revenues in the United States tied to women’s sports could reach $2.5 billion, representing more than double the current figures. This shift signals a significant opening for operators, with a large and measurable audience already in place. The key challenge remains: can betting on women’s sports translate this momentum into sustained handle and profit margins for sportsbooks?
Demand is Ascending Across Leagues and Media
Fan activity is evident through notable rises in engagement and attendance across basketball, football, and tennis. For example, the NCAA women’s basketball final in 2024 attracted 18.9 million viewers, surpassing the men’s final. The WNBA logged 370 million viewing hours in 2024, and the NWSL repeatedly broke attendance records. Sponsorship, too, has followed, as the WNBA reached 45 sponsors in 2025 and NWSL sponsorship outlays quadrupled to nearly $60 million.
Sportsbooks are beginning to capitalize on these trends as reliable coverage and stable league calendars allow for more advance pricing and market expansion. Betnacional’s acquisition of naming rights to the largest women’s football tournament in Northeastern Brazil further exemplifies the international operator interest.
Betting Product Growth and Current Limitations
Currently, wagering interest remains focused around major events and high-profile athletes. FanDuel posted a twofold increase in handle for women’s basketball between 2022 and 2023, and Bet365 witnessed record-breaking activity during the Women’s Euro 2025. DraftKings achieved a 14x jump in women’s college basketball handle as it broadened market offerings.
Tennis yields steady action, and football and basketball supply the most robust live betting where reliable feeds are available. However, liquidity tends to be concentrated at finals or showcase events, with more limited limits and inconsistent data feeds restricting the breadth of micro-markets available to bettors.
Addressing the Monetization Gap
Despite impressive viewership and sponsorship deals, revenue-per-viewer hour and betting conversion remain lower than men’s sports. Operators seeking to bridge this gap must make women’s fixtures more prominent in app navigation, provide timely event notifications, and invest in features like athlete hubs to enhance visibility.
Operators are also observing shifts in bettor demographics, with more women placing bets for the first time, often through social or shared experiences. In Brazil, women have recently taken a leading role in betting market share, prompting a need for products tailored to this audience. Consistent engagement tools could convert sporadic betting spikes into ongoing routines.
Four Key Obstacles for Execution
| Obstacle | Challenge | Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Inconsistent visibility of fixtures limits market access. | Enhance fixture discovery with in-app calendars and broadcast integration. |
| Data | Lack of deep historical and real-time data reduces model confidence. | Invest in official data sources and advanced tracking. |
| Liquidity | Markets are volatile at open; limited depth persists. | Roll out core markets initially and scale with volume. |
| Integrity | Low liquidity creates potential for irregularities. | Strengthen monitoring, anomaly detection, and collaborate with league partners. |
Balancing Regulation and Brand Safety
Sportsbooks must consider the younger fan base drawn by women’s leagues, necessitating stricter compliance controls and advertising guidelines, especially around youth-dominated events. Neutral creative and transparent marketing are encouraged, with responsible gambling (RG) measures prominently displayed. Partnerships between leagues and operators should include integrity and RG commitments.
Tactical Recommendations for Operators
- Incorporate full season calendars and ensure fixture discoverability in apps.
- Leverage athlete-driven hubs and simplified bet interfaces to attract new users, while fostering retention through team engagement.
- Expand live betting sensibly, scaling market offerings only when data quality is assured.
- Integrate fantasy, bingo, and social elements with educational messaging and modest bet limits.
- Collaborate with trusted sports content creators to educate fans.
- Pursue sponsorships that secure official data rights and broadcast odds integration.
- Monitor event-to-habit conversion rates to assess long-term engagement impact.
Case Studies Highlighting Product-Led Growth
Operators have seen the best gains through product innovation rather than increased advertising. For instance, FanDuel’s development of a dedicated WNBA event hub contributed to a twofold increase in league handle, while DraftKings’ menu expansion and use of creators propelled a 14x rise in college basketball betting. Offline initiatives, including watch parties and Q&A sessions, further supported these results.
Sponsorship Yields Enhanced Brand Engagement
Investors and brands are finding that visibility in women’s leagues generates higher engagement. Nielsen has reported a 77% increase in sponsor media value within the WNBA year over year, with fans notably more likely to follow and recommend sponsoring brands. In Latin America, operators such as Stake Brasil are linking sponsorships to social initiatives, adding trust and deepening local connections.
Projection Scenarios for the Next Five Years
| Scenario | Description |
|---|---|
| Base Case | Gradual rise in rights values and event coverage, with women’s betting settling into a stable, mid-single-digit share of handle in established markets. |
| Bull Case | Accelerated competition for rights and data parity enables faster micro-market scaling and positions women’s sports as a weekly sportsbook highlight. |
| Bear Case | Persistent coverage fragmentation and liquidity issues restrict growth to a handful of major events. |
Strategic Outlook for Operators
The next phase hinges on execution: with projected U.S. revenues totaling $2.5 billion by 2030 and European competitions already seeing record betting activity, the growth trajectory for women’s sports betting appears robust. Data partnerships, market staging, athlete-focused features, creator partnerships, and compliance-led marketing now stand as essential components rather than optional enhancements.
Operators are at a crossroads: either proactively target this expanding segment while acquisition costs are comparatively low and competition is limited, or wait for the market to develop further. The global opportunity extends beyond the U.S. and Europe, as evidenced by companies like betPawa sponsoring regional women’s football leagues in Africa.
Over the coming decade, market leaders will be defined by those treating women’s sports as an integral sportsbook offering, rather than a periodic campaign.
- Author
Daniel Williams
