Physics, Politics and Potential

Rarely, if ever, does the study of physics come into play when discussing the economics of the sports industry, but I find myself drawn toward the concept of motion. The Italian astronomer and physicist Galileo was among the first to posit the law of inertia, which helped the world understand the mechanics of motion. Inertia is the natural tendency of objects in motion to stay in motion, and objects at rest to stay at rest, unless a force causes the velocity to change.

If you’re still reading this piece, you might wonder what, on Earth, this has to do with the women’s sports landscape in the US. Well, everything. There’s been no shortage of metrics to establish and validate the growth and staying power of women’s sports recently. After years of finding its footing, it’s hard to argue when you read stats and headlines like these: 

• Global revenue of women’s sports nearly doubled from $981million in 2023 to $1.88 billion in 2024, with $2.35 billion projected for 2025 (Deloitte)
• Sponsorships for women’s leagues and events are growing 50% faster than men’s leagues (Forbes)
• The 2024 Women’s NCAA National Championship game between Iowa and South Carolina averaged 18.9 million viewers, surpassing the men’s final by 28%(MarketWatch)
• Among the top 100 most-endorsed college athletes in 2023–24,52% are women, up from 38%the previous year (SponsorUnited)

We’re undoubtedly entering a new era, where people like Caitlin Clark are household names, women’s franchises are selling for record-breaking amounts and cities are going all out in their bids to host women’s tentpole events (Drafts, All-Stars, etc.). To understand where we are going, however, it’s important to know where we started.

Over the past few decades, it’s hard to overstate how important policies like Title IX were to the global success of female athletes. If the US college system focused solely on academics, the way the rest of the world does, we might’ve never learned the name Caitlin Clark. The progressive policies of the American university system slowly permeated into global-level competitions, allowing this country to dominate Women’s World Cups and female Olympic competitions for decades. Eventually it translated into commercially successful professional leagues, such as the WNBA and NWSL.

But women’s sports is hardly a US phenomenon. Countries around the world are championing new leagues, competitions and media platforms—all in the interest of capturing the demand that has rapidly developed for women’s sports. Even Vogue magazine launched a sports desk dedicated to female athletes, a clear marker of cultural staying power.

It is critical to maintain that momentum in the US, as well. The erosion of laws and protections pushing for equitable access have come under fire in recent years, with colleges and universities bearing a considerable amount of the weight. These athletes have long been forerunners in the fights for equal pay, equal resources and social justice, all of which has grown the profile of their cultural relevance to make them iconic.

Their performance makes us pay attention, but investment makes them undeniable. The next evolution of this growth trajectory will be driven by investment in their success. We’ve already seen that bear out with respect to team valuations:

• The average NSWL team, according to a Sportico analysis, is now valued at $104 million, and the average WNBA team is valued at almost $270 million.
• The WNBA’s most recent expansion teams, earmarked for Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia, are expected to command $250 million in expansion fees.
• The WNBA’s Connecticut Sun is reportedly being sold for $325 million.

These are incredibly lofty figures. It’s incumbent on brands and fans to make sure the franchises generate the revenue to justify those valuations. Brands have continued their investment, led by stalwarts like Ally Financial, Delta Airlines, Nike, American Express, Unilever and many others. So much so that even Disney Advertising’s 2024 upfronts called out triple-digit increases in women’s sports advertising commitments.

Fans are doing their part as well. WNBA midseason attendance was up over 15.3%, according to a Sports Business Journalanalysis carried out in July of this year. The NCAA also reported that the 2025 Women’s Final Four attendance reached its highest mark since 2019. Viewership of the final game between UConn and South Carolina averaged 8.5 million viewers, the third-largest audience since ESPN took over the broadcasting rights.

While advocacy and legislation set forth the foundation for this moment, commercial investment and fan engagement will ultimately propel this movement. For brand marketers, the calculus should be a simple one (if they hearken back to the teachings of a certain Italian Renaissance man) for an industry in motion.

Let’s reopen our physics textbooks for a moment. While the motion of women’s sports has been established, brands can act as a force multiplier to supercharge the velocity of growth. For those less science-inclined, commercial growth will chart the path for future evolution. Sponsors and fans can help ensure that outcome.

Read more from Momentum Worldwide here.