The gap no one’s talking about
To get the gains, you have to support the game.
Arsenal Women are smashing it.
50k+ attendees every weekend.
Lionesses across the squad.
Big, credible partnerships like Starling Bank.
They’re the blueprint everyone points to.
But the part we don’t talk about enough? It’s taken Arsenal over a decade to get here. They’re also one of the most heavily invested women’s football clubs in the UK.
So what about everyone else?
The teams without Lionesses, deep-pocket investors or seven-figure sponsorships - but with highly engaged, fast-growing audiences?
That’s the real gap. And it’s getting bigger.
At our NXT LEAGUE event yesterday, Alice Larkworthy, Commercial Director at Charlton Athletic FC, broke it down.
The room left fired up, converted into Charlton fans, and with one thing crystal clear:
Female athletes are shaping culture. Brands are still overlooking them.
The facts
845k girls are playing football in England
Women’s football has 79 million global followers
81% of WSL fans want more brands investing
The audience is younger, active, and culturally engaged
The growth is undeniable, but the investment isn’t balanced.
Last season:
The top 4 WSL teams generated £8.61m in sponsorship revenue
The bottom 4 brought in just £268k
That’s a 32x difference.
Two seasons ago, it was “only” 23x.
The gap is growing.
And yet the graft, ambition, professionalism is all the same.
The top clubs have rightly raised the bar. But as Alice put it:
“Growth doesn’t automatically equal balance.”
To grow the women’s game (and the sponsorship opportunities for brands), there needs to be more balance.
More balance = more competition.
More competition = more viewers.
More viewers = more fans.
More fans = more commercial opportunity for brands.
And more fans means more opportunity - for everyone, including brands.
Investment vs. cost
Different words. Different perceptions. Same meaning.
“Investment” sounds positive. We start thinking about impact.
“Cost” sounds like loss. We start thinking about risk.
Men’s football gets framed as investment. Women’s football gets framed as cost.
That’s the other gap.
“Brands need to change the language.”
Either way you’re spending money. But women’s football offers something men’s football can’t: a fast-growing, deeply engaged audience that hasn’t been over-commercialised.
It isn’t about spending more (yet). It’s about spending it differently.
Sponsorship of women’s football works, just differently
Here’s the stat that got attendees wide-eyed:
Female athletes accounted for 61% of all TikTok views among the world’s 50 most marketable athletes in 2024.1
Audiences are obsessed with sportswomen. They show passion, resilience, growth - constantly and publicly - and audiences are fascinated.
Sharing their personalities, relatability and stories that resonate on social has been huge for the growth of individual player profiles. But the teams are doing the same, and brands need to tap into that too.
After a single 30-minute keynote at NXT LEAGUE, Charlton gained 120+ new fans from the people in room.
Their underdog story was compelling and real - everything that people are looking for in a world increasing being infiltrated by AI, causing disillusionment and disengagement.
Women’s teams also have a unique advantage: fewer inherited loyalties.
Fans aren’t bound by generations of tradition, only following a team because their family does. They’re choosing teams now based on values, story and connection.
So, women’s football creates a prime cross-section for brands: an emotive interest and new, engaged fans who are looking for more brand investment to make it easier for them to get more involved in the game. Seems like a no brainer, right?
What makes Charlton different
“Undeniably SE7.”
Charlton have one of the lowest player budgets in their league.
But they’re also:
365 days unbeaten
Top of WSL2
Pushing for promotion this May
On the pitch, they’re relentless. Off the pitch, they’re builders.
Despite being 100 years old, they’re operating like a start-up. Constant testing and experimentation and fast decision-making - backed up by deep community trust.
They’re rooted in heritage but built for what women’s football is becoming.
And that’s exactly why people buy in.
The bottom line
To get the gains, you have to support the game.
If brands want access to engaged, culturally relevant audiences, women’s sport is it.
They don’t need to invest more - yet.
They just need to invest smarter by spreading it out.
Because the next growth story won’t come from the top of the table.
It’ll come from the teams everyone’s been ignoring.
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