Study: women's sports fans 25% more likely to buy sponsored products than men

Purposed brands in women's sports have more opportunities, new research from The Space Between reveals.

There's a new study from "The Space Between," a sports marketing agency, which has found that female sports fans are 25% more likely to purchase sponsored products than male sports fans.

The study also reveals that the brand's appeal among female sports enthusiasts is twice as likely as that of male sports enthusiasts.

Purpose is the key element in activations. Brands need to be aware of this if they want to be successful in women's sports associations. The Space Between found that 50% of sports fans "strongly agree" that sponsors should try to "make the world a better place," while only 20 percent of sports fans, men feel the same.

On the same page, the study found that 40% of female sports fans consider it very important that sponsoring brands reflect their values, while only 20% of male sports fans agree.

Why marketers are missing out by not investing in women’s sport

Finally, the report also showed that, compared to the male sports audience, female sports fans are "significantly" more tech-savvy and more likely to take a green and community-oriented approach.

Lisa Parfitt, co-founder of The Space Between, said: “Having new insight and data on women’s sport is critical to the progression and continued momentum of its commercialisation.

“It’s time for the industry to place more focus on the value of women’s sport fans attitudes and behaviours, for brands with a purposeful persuasion to understand the potential rewards and for sports to sell women’s sport in a new way.”

“It’s time to change the narrative about the commercial and marketing value of women’s sport,” added Adam Raincock, another of The Space Between’s co-founders.

“We need to alter the way we look at this audience from a focus on the quantity of the audience to the quality.

“There is a fundamental difference in how the audience connect with women’s sport. It’s deeper and more meaningful and so therefore brands that get it right have an opportunity to create better and more valuable relationships with these fans.”