This week, The GIST, in partnership with NYC agency Barbarian, released a defining report on the commercial rise of women’s sports. The headline figure is staggering: women’s sports are projected to generate over $2.35 billion globally in 2024. Media coverage has surged by 275 percent in the past five years. Revenue has increased 300 percent since 2022. Fans are 3.5 times more likely to purchase products endorsed by female athletes, and 4 times more likely to follow them on social media.
The data is clear. Women’s sports are not a niche category. They are one of the most valuable growth markets in the global sports economy.
And yet, in the very same week this report was released, women’s football in the UK offered a contradictory narrative. One of unprecedented achievement. Another of devastating retreat.
Two Stories, One Weekend
At Wembley, Chelsea Women defeated Manchester United 3–0 in the FA Cup Final, capping off an unbeaten domestic treble in front of more than 74,000 fans. With standout performances from Sandy Baltimore and Catarina Macario, Chelsea are redefining what dominance in the women’s game looks like. The club is now backed by £20 million in new investment from Alexis Ohanian and continues to raise the bar for ambition and infrastructure.
Contrast that with Blackburn Rovers Women, a historically significant club that developed Lionesses like Keira Walsh and Ella Toone. Just days ago, Blackburn were forced to withdraw from the Women’s Championship after their owners refused to meet new professional standards, including full-time contracts and improved facilities. Despite posting a £3.3 million profit this year, the club will now drop at least two tiers, severing development pathways and ending professional careers prematurely.
Professional Growth, Structural Fragility
This moment reveals a sharp tension. Women’s football is growing faster than the structures built to support it. The FA is right to raise standards across the Championship and WSL. But without transition support for clubs making that leap, we risk creating a two-speed ecosystem - one where elite clubs thrive and foundational ones collapse.
Chelsea’s story proves what is possible with funding, planning, and commitment. Blackburn’s story shows what happens when women's football is treated as expendable, even in the face of commercial viability.
The GIST’s report also found that 67 percent of women’s sports fans earn over £80,000 annually, and over half of Gen Z fans are driven by authentic storytelling, not just match results. They value athlete mental health, behind-the-scenes content, and inclusive branding. Women's sports fans are not only a lucrative market - they are reshaping what engagement and loyalty look like.
What Needs to Change
If we are serious about building a sustainable women's football system in the UK, we need to act on multiple fronts:
Provide financial scaffolding for Championship-level clubs to meet new standards
Enforce equal investment policies for clubs that operate both men's and women's teams
Incentivise community-rooted clubs to stay in the professional game
Measure success not only by trophies won, but by opportunities created
This is a moment of both celebration and reckoning. The industry is showing that women’s football can generate billions, draw millions of fans, and inspire a generation. But to make that future truly inclusive, we must ensure that the next Chelsea and the next Keira Walsh don’t get lost in the margins.
Women’s football is not just about what happens on the pitch. It’s about the system that supports it. Growth without inclusion is just a façade.
This is the time to build the whole game, from the top down and the bottom up.