With new TV deal worth £8m, brands see value in women's league deals | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Get the Paper
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Thursday
July 24, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Get the Paper
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2025
With new TV deal worth £8m, brands see value in women's league deals

Sports

Reuters
04 September, 2021, 10:50 am
Last modified: 04 September, 2021, 10:58 am

Related News

  • Ghagra: Where dreams rise from dust for Bangladesh women's football
  • 60 brands bag SDG Brand Champion Awards for driving sustainable impact
  • Align brands with SDGs: Experts at Sustainability Summit
  • Can boycotts show the path to corporate accountability?
  • World's most valuable engineering brands 2024

With new TV deal worth £8m, brands see value in women's league deals

In the past WSL teams were usually 'add ons' to the main sponsorship deals for men's teams but in recent weeks WSL clubs have announced a raft of commercial deals tailored to the women's teams.

Reuters
04 September, 2021, 10:50 am
Last modified: 04 September, 2021, 10:58 am
Photo: Reuters.
Photo: Reuters.

England's Women's Super League (WSL) kicks off its new season this weekend and, with a major new broadcast deal and a host of international players, there are a series of new sponsorships as brands look to get in on the growth of the women's game.

The new three-year broadcast deal, reported to be worth eight million pounds ($11.07 million) per season, will see WSL games broadcast live on subscription platform Sky Sports and by the free-to-air BBC, which the league hopes will boost ratings and the popularity of the WSL, whose title sponsor is Barclays.

Sky Sports say they will give the WSL "the full treatment" with their trademark analysis, promotion and programming around the games, while the BBC offer the chance to access the large audience of fans without sports subscription packages.

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

In the past WSL teams were usually 'add ons' to the main sponsorship deals for men's teams but in recent weeks WSL clubs have announced a raft of commercial deals tailored to the women's teams.

The same trend has been seen in the divisions below the WSL though, indicating that the growing commercial appeal of women's football is broader than just the top level.

"There is no question that we have seen an uplift in commercial interest in women's football - in our leagues and competitions, at club level and across the women's game in general," Kelly Simmons, the Football Association's (FA) Director of the Women's Professional Game, told Reuters.

"Brands are increasingly seeing women's sport, and the associated audiences, as an opportunity and platform to help deliver against business objectives," she added.

New Partners

WSL teams are not just selling their own shirt sponsorships but have sleeve deals and a range of partners for specific sectors.

This week Herbalife became the official 'nutrition partner' of Tottenham Hotspur's team and Everton announced a partnership with the Football Manager video game.

Chris Cook, co-founder of football marketing company Future Sports Marketing (FSM), says the television deal was central to the new interest.

"Viewing figures are estimated to explode by around 300% and consequently we've seen a rapid increase in the number of brands who are keen to explore commercial opportunities in the women's game," he said.

Cook noted that in the past companies may have viewed women's soccer as a worthy cause to support but they now view it as a business opportunity.

"Many of these brands might have previously viewed investing in women's football as a CSR (corporate social responsibility)initiative but the TV broadcast deal has caused a major shift and they're now seeing it as a mainstream sport in its own right with audiences to match," he said.

FSM helped broker deals between Restaurant chain Fridays, previously known as TGI Fridays, and five clubs at varying levels - Everton, Birmingham City, Southampton, Glasgow Rangers and Hashtag United.

Friday's Chief Marketing Officer Dan Staples said the company felt that women's football allowed them to reach a specific target audience.

"Following a review of several strategic approaches to identify greatest exposure and opportunity, we decided on women's football due to a recognisable growth trajectory... it felt like the perfect time" he said.

Financial Attraction

While the reach to a female demographic is an obvious appeal, women's clubs have other attractions to brands.

"If you look at the crowds at women's football games you also see a lot of families and an opportunity for brands to appeal to them," said Beth Clarkson, women's football governance expert at the University of Portsmouth.

"It is also financially attractive - brands can become a title sponsor of a domestic competition at a fraction of the cost of becoming a named partner of a professional men's club where their logo could become lost among many others," she added.

While the television audience should receive a boost, the WSL still faces a challenge in increasing matchday revenue from ticket sales, hospitality and merchandising.

"Spectatorship has certainly not risen at the same pace as sponsorship and broadcasting, there is no escaping that. Matchday revenue is not the biggest income stream in women's football," said Clarkson, who believes the WSL could experiment more with holding double-header matches with men's teams.

In the meantime, the companies getting involved with the women's game believe they can secure much more than a name on a shirt.

"Through delivering everything from TV facing assets, digital activation, match experiences, memorabilia and unrivalled player access, we can bring that emotion associated with our brand to traditional and new audiences whilst significantly tying in our values of equality, diversity & inclusion," said Friday's Staples.

Football

Women Football / TV Deals / brands

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  •  ABM Khairul Haque. File Photo: Collected
    Former chief justice Khairul Haque detained
  • Infographics: TBS
    Stay orders won’t shield defaulters: BB governor 
  • Representational image/Reuters
    Dollar gets upward push as BB buys $10m more in auction at even higher rate

MOST VIEWED

  • Photo: Collected
    Bangladeshi man jailed for life in UK for murdering wife in front of their baby
  • Ctg port authority halts contractor recruitment for Kamalapur ICD operations for two months
    Ctg port authority halts contractor recruitment for Kamalapur ICD operations for two months
  • Fire at Cosmo School in Mirpur on 23 July 2025. Photo: TBS
    Fire breaks out at Cosmo School in Mirpur following generator explosion
  • Representational image. File Photo: Rajib Dhar/TBS
    Debate arises as edu adviser says postponed HSC exams of 22 and 24 July will be held on same day
  • The Government Seal of Bangladesh
    Govt mulls allowing trade unions with 20 workers, industry leaders warn of disorder
  • Photo: CA Press Wing
    Stronger stance needed on maintaining law and order: Political parties to CA

Related News

  • Ghagra: Where dreams rise from dust for Bangladesh women's football
  • 60 brands bag SDG Brand Champion Awards for driving sustainable impact
  • Align brands with SDGs: Experts at Sustainability Summit
  • Can boycotts show the path to corporate accountability?
  • World's most valuable engineering brands 2024

Features

Photo: Collected

24 July: More than 1400 arrested, 3 missing coordinators found

10h | Panorama
Photo: Mehedi Hasan/TBS

Aggrieved nation left with questions as citizens rally to help at burn institute

1d | Panorama
Photo: Mehedi Hasan/TBS

Mourning turns into outrage as Milestone students seek truth and justice

1d | Panorama
Illustration: TBS

Uttara, Jatrabari, Savar and more: The killing fields that ran red with July martyrs’ blood

2d | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Why are there renewed tensions between Iran and Israel?

Why are there renewed tensions between Iran and Israel?

31m | Others
Coca-Cola is launching a 'Trump version' made with cane sugar

Coca-Cola is launching a 'Trump version' made with cane sugar

2h | Others
ISPR reports 31 dead, official tally 29

ISPR reports 31 dead, official tally 29

12h | TBS Today
13 political parties meet with chief advisor; urge to announce election date

13 political parties meet with chief advisor; urge to announce election date

12h | TBS Today
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net