A new study has put a dollar figure on the explosion of professional women’s sports in Canada, estimating the market value could grow to more than $500 million by 2030.
In the last two years, Canada has seen the launch of the all-Canadian Northern Super League, as well as the Professional Women’s Hockey League, which will add its fourth Canadian franchise this fall in Vancouver. Next up is the Toronto Tempo, a WNBA expansion team that will begin play next season.
Over that same time period, the market value of women’s professional sports in this country has doubled to an estimated $380 million to $400 million, according to the report released Monday by Canadian Women & Sport, a national nonprofit organization.
Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of Canadian Women & Sport, said the addition of the NSL, the PWHL and the expansion of the WNBA to Canada is permanently changing the Canadian sports landscape.
“It’s really an exciting time and I would say it’s like the lights went on in Canada,” Sandmeyer-Graves said in an interview with CBC Sports. “We are quickly catching up with our global counterparts, whereas before we were a little behind.”
From the launches of the PWHL and NSL to the breakout success of the WNBA in recent years, women’s sports have become big business.
The research published in the new study was developed in partnership with Canadian Tire Corporation and The Collective, a global advocacy and advisory arm of Wasserman that focuses on investing in women.
The report, called It’s time to lead the next era of growthIt also states that two out of three Canadians identify as fans of women’s sports.
The data in the report is aimed squarely at brands, particularly those that remain undecided about investing in women’s sport. Some have stepped in while others bide their time to see where they fit.
“While we respect that and want brands to come forward with that strategic approach, we really want to encourage them to enter this space,” Sandmeyer-Graves said. “We felt that reaching them with data and ideas that speak more directly to their perspective could be something useful for them.”
‘We are here to stay’
The six-team NSL just completed its inaugural regular season, where AFC Toronto captured the first-ever Supporters’ Shield.
The NSL final is scheduled for November 15 at BMO Field in Toronto, where the first-ever NSL champion will be crowned and lift the Diana B. Matheson Cup.
In that first season, the report says avid NSL fans were twice as likely to follow athletes on social media as men’s Major League Soccer (MLS) fans, and 21 percent more likely to engage with the team’s social media channels.
Christina Litz, president of the NSL, said the data in the report shows how women’s sports fans are different and going nowhere.
“This research and support really helps us when we meet with Canadian brands and convince them to come on board at this early stage,” Litz told CBC Sports. “That said, this is still the beginning. There are still many brands that are on the fence and think that somehow this is a trend. What this report shows is that it is not. We are here to stay and we are growing.”
The PWHL will begin its third season on Nov. 21, marking the beginning of the league’s eight-team era. Vancouver and Seattle join the Toronto Sceptres, Montreal Victoire, Ottawa Charge, New York Sirens, Minnesota Frost and Boston Fleet.
Last season, more than 737,000 fans attended a PWHL regular-season or playoff game, while sales of PWHL merchandise doubled season over season, according to league figures.
Data from the Canadian Women & Sport report also suggests that 53 per cent of Canadians interested in the PWHL identify as “avid fans” and are 85 per cent more likely to watch games regularly on television.
Meanwhile, Toronto Tempo enters the WNBA at a time when professional women’s basketball and the NCAA are gaining popularity, thanks to young stars like Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers. The team will begin play next spring after an expansion draft.
In addition to new teams and leagues, Canada was already hosting major women’s tournaments, such as the National Bank Open for tennis and the CPKC Women’s Open for golf.
