Conventional wisdom about sports advertising is being rewritten as women's sports continue to generate more viewers, higher advertiser budgets, and a bigger overall consumer impact. EDO’s sophomore Women's Sports TV Outcomes Report reveals which brands and categories are leading the way — and how these advertisers are creating campaigns that resonate with these highly valuable audiences.
In 2024, women's sports saw explosive growth across every major TV benchmark. Total estimated ad spend increased 139% year-over-year to reach $244.4 million, and airings grew 37%.
But the most compelling statistic? The average women's sports ad generated 40% more impact than its primetime counterparts — as measured by the total, ad-driven consumer engagement observed during the minutes after the ads aired. These consumer engagement behaviors include brand searches and website visits, and they’ve been proven by research to be highly predictive of future sales.
While women's sports are generating vast viewership, more national TV time, and greater advertising impact, several events and leagues were top performers in 2024.
For example, the WNBA Finals, NCAA basketball tournament, and US Open Tennis all scored 18-20% greater per-person, per-second engagement than the average 2024 women’s sports program. Two leagues in particular saw strong performance all season long: NCAA gymnastics (+18%) and NCAA lacrosse (+25%).
It’s interesting to note that many of the most effective advertisers are smaller, emerging brands that are new to TV. When we look at the top 10 most effective advertisers, the list is dominated by rising brands like Poppi, Oura, and Vuori.
Several of these brands, like SKIMS and Bombas, had previously had minimal TV presence. By tapping into fresh, engaged audiences in women’s sports, they’ve been able to break through in TV advertising and drive strong early results This trend highlights how investing in women’s sports can help brands maximize reach and capitalize on momentum in today’s fragmented media landscape.
As an official WNBA sponsor, shapewear brand SKIMS went all in with contextually relevant ads. The 30-second spot “Everybody” features several of the league’s top stars, including the recently retired Candace Parker, Kelsey Plum, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Dijonai Carrington, and Cameron Brink. The creative was 3,716% more effective than the 2024 women's sports average.
For modern marketers facing increased pressure to demonstrate ROI from their TV investments, women's sports offers a compelling proposition: higher engagement rates, passionate audiences, and media costs that remain attractive despite rapid growth.
Three actionable takeaways emerge for marketers:
Ready to make your next move? Download our complete Women's Sports TV Outcomes Report for detailed performance metrics across leagues, case studies of winning campaigns, and actionable insights to plan for success in 2025.