The Women’s World Cup (WWC) is underway, with FIFA projecting a total audience of over 2 billion people and expecting to earn $807 billion this year from ticket sales, broadcasting, marketing, hospitality, and licensing rights. However, competition from the English Premier League and the time-zone difference means FIFA will likely settle for closer to $200 million in broadcast rights – much lower than the $300 million they had expected.
Despite this, FIFA has signed up 30 different brand sponsors for this WWC, up from 12 in 2019. Women’s soccer is incredibly popular, with 8.4 million people in the UK alone watching live WSL football in 2022 - 3.3 million more than in 2021. In the US, the National Women’s Soccer League drew more than a million in-person fans last year – more than any other top women’s soccer league. Moreover, the 2019 WWC Final match generated 17 million more TV impressions and 20% more viewers than the 2018 men’s World Cup.
The tournament has also been expanded to include 32 teams, eight more than in 2019. Already, 1.4 million tickets have been sold for 64 matches in the two nations, surpassing the record total for the tournament set 8 years ago in Canada.
However, FIFA has been accused of condescension and dismissal when it comes to women’s soccer. The prize money awarded for this year’s WWC is also unequal to that of the men’s tournament. While the champion team will receive $4.29 million for their association and $270,000 per player, teams who don’t make it past the first round will only receive $1.56 million for their association and $30,000 per player. Even worse, 29% of players competing reported not receiving any payment from their national team.
In June, FIFA announced a deal that would guarantee payments for all players at the tournament, however, a week ago, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the guarantee is off. Despite this, women’s soccer fans remain devoted and passionate about the sport, and with the WWC only just beginning, there’s still time for FIFA to step up and make a positive impact.
Originally reported by Martech: https://martech.org/will-womens-world-cup-bring-the-prize-audience-marketers-want/
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