Women and Sports Marketing

While it has taken way too much time, it is refreshing to see that sports teams and leagues in general, are finally marketing their products to women. As we know, the NFL, NBA and MLB in particular have developed clothing specifically for women. In the past, it seemed, most items of clothing were almost the same as men’s clothing except for the size.

Spending a percentage of marketing dollars towards women is essential for any team – new revenue streams, easier way to bring families to games and if today’s environment it is almost fashionable in some cities to go on dates at sporting events.

According to research from Initiative Sports Futures, Initiative’s global sports consultancy division, "more and more women are watching the world’s top sporting events. For the top TV sports event of 2006, the FIFA World Cup Final (Italy vs. France), Initiative found that women accounted for 41 percent of the global audience, a larger share than ever before. Two years before, for the UEFA European Football Championship, women made up 40 percent of the TV audience. And during World Cup 2002, women were 39 percent of the audience."

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_9593.asp