Mexican women’s football is no longer a side story. Liga MX Femenil has gone from experimental league status to one of the most dynamic growth engines in global sport. Stadiums are filling, broadcast numbers are breaking records, and commercial partners are finally realising the business upside of backing female athletes. The real question for brand strategists: is this just momentum - or a genuine power shift in sports culture?
đź“Š Supporting Stats
Stadium attendance for Liga MX Femenil hit 551,000 in 2023, ranking it third globally for average game attendance - only behind England’s Women’s Super League and Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga.
The Clausura 2023 final drew 3.6 million OTA viewers, making it the most-watched women’s football match in North America ever.
Social media audiences for Liga MX Femenil teams grew 156% year-on-year, with TikTok and Instagram driving the most engagement.
Sponsorship ROI is outpacing the men’s game: Liga MX Femenil sponsorships deliver 2–3x stronger returns than Liga MX men’s teams.
In 2024, the Mexican Senate approved equal base salaries for male and female athletes, putting structural change into law.
Liga MX Femenil has achieved what many leagues globally are still chasing: embedding women’s sport into mainstream fandom. The data shows not just participation growth but financial logic for brands. The sponsorship multiple alone reframes women’s football from “cause-driven investment” to high-return media property. Strategically, it’s a case study in how sport can evolve by centring inclusivity without diluting spectacle.
đź“Ś Key Takeouts
What happened: Liga MX Femenil surged in attendance, TV viewership, sponsorship revenue and social traction.
What works: Strategic sponsorships (Nike, Spotify, Barbie collabs with Tigres Femenil), improved media coverage, and legal reforms driving equality.
What hasn’t landed: Media rights value still lags far behind men’s football; some matches are relegated to secondary venues, hurting attendance.
Why it matters: Women’s football in Mexico is proving both commercially sustainable and culturally resonant - not just an add-on but a core product.
For brands: This is a proven growth platform with superfans ready to reward sponsors. The cultural equity upside is as strong as the financial.
đź”® What We Can Expect Next
Expect more global players to enter Liga MX Femenil, drawn by the visibility and competition. International sponsors will test Mexico as a staging ground for women’s sports marketing, much like the US was for the WNBA. The risk? Oversaturation or commodification - but for now, momentum is real, and audiences are leaning in, not burning out.
✨ Source: The Collective, Wasserman