Men’s sports have always dominated viewership rankings, being the go-to games for sports bars and restaurants looking to draw in customers. However, the game is changing. Women’s sports is experiencing a surge in popularity from women’s basketball to FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer to women’s college volleyball and more. Now is a great time for your sports bar or restaurant to add women’s sports to your lineup so you can capitalize on this growing trend. DIRECTV for BUSINESS offers exclusive packages with all of the women’s sports programming you need to get in the game.
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Women’s Sports Is Driving More Viewership Than Ever Before
Interest in women’s sports is on the rise, with a 131% increase in overall viewership in 2024.
Breakout stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese put women’s college basketball into the spotlight. The 2024 NCAA women’s college basketball championship between South Carolina and Iowa was the most-watched basketball game with 18.9 million viewers. And not just the most-watched women’s basketball game. It was the most-watched basketball game at any level (men’s, women’s, professional or college) since 2019.
This momentum has continued as Clark went on to play for the Indiana Fever WNBA team, and the Fever vs. Sun game was the most-watched WNBA game ever on ESPN with 1.8 million viewers. In 2024, the WNBA had its most-watched season in 24 years and the highest attendance in 22 years with more than 2.35 million fans coming to the games in 2024, which is a 48% increase from the prior season.
But it’s not just women’s basketball that’s gaining popularity. The Professional Women’s Hockey League set an attendance record of 14,288 fans on March 16, 2025, during the Minnesota Frost and New York Sirens game. And during the 2024 season, the PWHL reported over 100,000 YouTube subscribers and more than 40 million views.
Women’s college volleyball also has a growing fan base. The matchup between Nebraska and Omaha in August 2024 shattered records with 92,003 fans in attendance at Memorial Stadium, breaking the world record for the most attendance of any women’s sporting event.
Women’s Sports By The Numbers
Check out some of these additional stats:
- 4.6 million viewers tuned into ESPN to watch Serena Williams’ final tennis match in September 2022.
- The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup was the most-watched women’s sports event in history, attracting a global audience of over 2 billion viewers, with the final alone drawing more than 75 million viewers.
- The 2024 Paris Olympics made history by being the first games to have an equal number of men and women athletes.
- The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) broke attendance records in 2024 with an average of 11,250 fans at games and 14 million viewers for regular season matches.
The Rise of Women’s Sports Bars
Women’s sports bars have been popping up all over the country, and according to an article by NBC News, women’s sports bars are expected to quadruple in 2025. Jenny Nguyen kicked off this growing trend in April 2022 when she opened The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon. The Sports Bra was the first sports bar that’s 100% dedicated to showing women’s sports. Since then, there have been more women’s sports bars opening every year, from A Bar of Their Own in Minneapolis to Rough and Tumble Pub in Seattle, Washington to Whiskey Girl Tavern in Chicago, Illinois. Many of these bars are women-owned, creating spaces that not only celebrate women’s sports but also foster a sense of community, inclusivity and empowerment.
Tap Into The Growing Women’s Sports Trend
While the interest in women’s sports is rising, many people find it difficult to find places that are showing women’s games. According to a poll by Seton Hall University, 37% of the general population and 51% of sports fans said that they would watch more women’s sports if it was more easily accessible. And it’s not just women driving interest in women’s sports, as 30% of men around the world watched more women’s sports in 2024 than they did in 2023. This creates a great opportunity for your business to become the go-to destination for women’s sports fans in your area.
Benefits of Showing Women’s Sports at Your Sports Bar or Restaurant
Here are some additional benefits of showing women’s sports at your sports bar or restaurant:
- Help Fill Off-Season Gaps: Women’s sports can be a great way to drum up business during the off-season of popular sports like football and men’s basketball to help bring in fans year-round.
- Gain New Customers: By showing women’s sports, you can appeal to a bigger customer base that may not typically come to a sports bar or restaurant.
- Capitalize on Weeknight Programming: Many women’s sports air on weeknights, which can help boost business during slower times.
- Get A Leg Up on the Competition: By showing women’s sports, you can get an edge over other sports bars and restaurants that aren’t taking advantage of this growing trend.
Get A Winning programming and Sports Package That Offers Women’s Sports
DIRECTV for BUSINESS offers comprehensive programming and sports packages that include access to the very best in women’s sports. Ensure that you can show all the WNBA games, NCAA women’s sports games, PWHL matches, women’s soccer and more. And with 99% worry-free signal reliability, you’ll never have to worry about your customers missing a second of the action. DIRECTV for BUSINESS also gives businesses hassle-free customer service and free standard professional installation. Plus, DIRECTV’s Sports Bar Finder provides an easy way for women’s sports fans to find bars that offer DIRECTV.
Get DIRECTV FOR YOUR Sports Bar Or Restaurant
Ready to bring women’s sports to your bar or restaurant? DIRECTV offers the ultimate business TV experience with exclusive sports programming that will set you apart from the competition. Call 888-303-9117 to get started today!
The post Women’s Sports Are On The Rise: How To Make It A Win For Your Business appeared first on DIRECTV Insider.
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