Sports Media Report
Gilt Edge Soccer Marketing, the leading soccer-specific brand marketing agency, today released proprietary findings on female interest and engagement in soccer in the United States. Insights provide brand marketers with a greater appreciation for soccer’s unique connection to the female consumer.
Among its many findings, the Female Passion Report revealed that:
- 28 percent of female soccer fans prefer the women’s game over the men’s game, while 26 percent prefer the men’s game
- Female soccer fans watch 4.1 games on average a week
- 40 percent of female soccer fans have become interested in the game in the last five years. The equivalent statistic for male interest is 24 percent
- Women tend to find their soccer passion later in life with 38 percent indicating they became a fan after the age of 18
- Females fans regularly follow or have interest in more than four clubs
- 61 percent are more interested in women’s soccer as a result of 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup
- 75 percent believe female soccer players should be paid the same as male players
The report is based on findings from the seventh annual study conducted by the agency in an annual exploration of soccer fandom in United States. The online survey hosted by Qualtrics included general market and Hispanic consumers aged 13 and older who indicate at least a casual interest in soccer. The study took place during a one-week window in August 2019 with a nationwide sample size of 1,650 respondents.
Gilt Edge Soccer Marketing President John Guppy believes the attention garnered this summer by the U.S. Women’s National Team has helped put the female sports fan firmly in the spotlight.
“Female interest in soccer has historically indexed higher than most of the other major sports. Our hope is the findings of this study further help brands develop a deeper comprehension for the special connection soccer has with the female consumer,” said Guppy.
Access to an expanded set of survey insights including analysis of the following is available at www.giltedgesoccer.com/female-passion-report.
- Female fan demographics
- What women think about men’s soccer compared to women’s game
- Factors that influence female interest in soccer
- Interest in major professional men’s leagues
- How women self-categorize their interest in soccer
- Perspectives on the U.S. Women’s & Men’s National Teams
- The legacy impact of the FIFA Women’s World Cup
