In sports marketing, growth doesn’t just mean revenue. It means cultural relevance, emotional connection, and long-term brand equity. Few teams in the world - men’s or women’s - have embodied that better than the England Lionesses.
Over the past five years, they’ve gone from underexposed to unstoppable. From fringe fixtures to primetime. From potential to proof.
This is more than a success story. It’s a case study in how performance, leadership, visibility, and commercial alignment create explosive, sustainable growth.
⚽ Performance: From Sporadic Fixtures to Silverware
In 2020, England’s women’s national team played just three matches.
Fast forward to 2025:
Over 60 games under Sarina Wiegman
~75% win rate
UEFA Euro 2022 champions
FIFA Women’s World Cup runners-up (2023)
Winners of the Women’s Finalissima and Arnold Clark Cups
And crucially - they didn’t just win. They did so with a playing style, team spirit, and tactical confidence that invited belief from fans and brands alike.
🧠 Sarina Wiegman: Leadership That Drives Everything
Appointed in 2021, Sarina Wiegman transformed England into one of the most feared and admired teams in global football.
She brought elite standards, psychological resilience, and media maturity. Her calm authority has become a marketer’s dream - trustworthy, consistent, and compelling.
She:
Went unbeaten in her first calendar year
Delivered England’s first major tournament trophy
Maintained a near-75% win rate
Stabilised a team into a platform for long-term investment
📈 The Commercial Boom: Proof That Performance Converts
📺 Broadcast
WSL rights grew from £8M/year (2020) to £13M/year (2024–2029)
A £65M five-year deal with Sky and the BBC - the largest in women's club football history
England’s Euro 2022 final drew 17.4M UK viewers - the most-watched women’s match ever in the country
💵 Revenue Growth
WSL revenues grew 34% YoY to £65M in 2023–24
Matchday revenue rose 73%
Forecast: £100M+ by 2026
👕 Merchandise & Licensing
England’s 2022 Euros win triggered a 120% spike in women’s merchandise
Mary Earps' Nike goalkeeper kit sold out globally - after Nike was forced to reverse its original decision not to sell it
📲 Players as Platforms: Social Power and Brand Value
These athletes aren’t just performers - they’re highly engaged, culturally relevant media properties.
Most Followed Lionesses on Instagram (July 2025):
Leah Williamson - 1.13M | Gucci, Pepsi, Nike
Chloe Kelly - 956K | Calvin Klein, Nike
Alessia Russo - ~850K | Adidas, Gucci, Beats, PlayStation
Lauren James - ~640K | Google, Barclays, Nike
Ella Toone - ~600K | Skincare, BBC Sounds, ET7
🚀 Lauren James gained 122K followers in just 30 days during the 2023 World Cup
📈 Alessia Russo’s branded content delivers elite engagement and media value
This is the new model: athletes as ecosystems - driving ROI through visibility, influence, and relatability.
🧤 Mary Earps: From Keeper to Icon
Few players have shifted the conversation like Mary Earps.
Named FIFA’s Best Goalkeeper
Drove a global outcry when Nike refused to sell her shirt
Forced a U-turn - her kit went on to sell out worldwide
Became a symbol of performance and principle
As she retires from international football, her legacy is commercial impact meets cultural power.
🛤️ Let’s Not Forget Who Paved the Way
This growth was built on the shoulders of legends. The Lionesses didn’t just appear — they were made possible by decades of persistence, talent, and quiet revolution. Here's who helped shape the stage they now own:
🧭 Fara Williams
England’s most capped player (172). She rose from homelessness to the heart of the national team, proving resilience builds legacy. Now a strong voice for inclusion and access in football.
🎤 Alex Scott
140+ caps and a Champions League winner, she became one of the most recognised sports broadcasters in the UK - smashing representation barriers on the BBC and Sky. A brand in her own right.
🎓 Casey Stoney
Captain, Olympian, and now a respected coach in the NWSL. She was one of the first openly gay players to speak out, shaping a more inclusive game.
💬 Eni Aluko
The first Black woman to reach 100 England caps. A trailblazer on and off the pitch, now a thought leader and former sporting director. Vocal on racism, equality, and structural reform.
🏛️ Karen Carney
A four-time World Cup player who led the UK government’s review of women’s football. Now helping write the sport’s next chapter from inside the system.
👑 Rachel Yankey
England’s first professional female footballer. A quiet pioneer who helped prove that women could - and should - play professionally in England.
🌟 Kelly Smith
Arguably England’s most gifted player. Her technique and flair inspired a generation before the world was really watching.
🛡️ Steph Houghton
Captain through key transitional years, leading England with steadiness and humility as the sport scaled from niche to national.
These are the women who shifted perceptions, broke ceilings, and carried the weight long before the spotlight showed up.
🏁 What It All Means for Sports Marketers
This is the biggest growth story in British sport in the past decade. Why?
Because the Lionesses offer:
Consistent, elite-level performance
Storytelling rooted in purpose and empowerment
Influencers with integrity and reach
Broadcast metrics and stadium audiences that rival men’s sport
A brand that fans genuinely care about
It’s not hype - it’s measured momentum.
If you're a sponsor, rights holder, broadcaster, or brand strategist and you’re not building with the Lionesses in mind, you're behind. The blueprint is right here.
🎯 Final Word
Women’s football isn’t emerging - it’s expanding. The Lionesses are proving what’s possible when performance, purpose, and platform come together.
They’re not just making history.
They’re changing the business of sport.