Women’s Sports Are Soaring. How Do Professional Teams Make Sure it Lasts?

Women’s sports are capturing the attention of an intergenerational, cross-over audience. I see it at home: my 9-year-old, basketball obsessed son covets his Caitlin Clark ball and his basketball practices are typically a crowd of young ballers dribbling the WNBA’s iconic orange and white striped ball. A recent study revealed that “30 percent of men…are watching more women’s sports in 2024 compared to 2023.” And TOGETHXR, the media company that produces the popular “Everyone Watches Women Sports” shirts, tripled its year over year revenue and generated $6 million in merchandise revenue alone in 2024.  

But with the spotlight comes pressure: how are women’s sports teams going to retain and grow their fan base so this explosion in interest lasts? 

Every team, regardless of gender or league, is an individual brand which must define its identity and deploy intentional messaging to build lasting fan and community loyalty. 

Find Your Fans: Mapping Your Audience For Growth 

Effective communication starts with having a deep understanding of your audience and their values, motivations, and concerns (beyond just winning games, which is paramount for most fanbases!).  Every fan won’t be the same. A middle-aged mom, for example, may have nostalgia for when she played the game and deeply care about the values it taught her while a future season ticket holder may be inspired and motivated by a single athlete’s performance.  

Survey your fans and track their engagements consistently to gather data, use sophisticated data & analytics tools to understand it, and then build audience models so you can easily reach the nostalgic moms or wide-eyed young fans with the right messaging on the platforms where they spend their time. 

Tailored messaging needs to always ladder up to your core message – but by customizing, you’ll be able to resonate with more people in unique ways, building their loyalty.

Define Your Why: The Power of Intentional Messaging

Fans love a championship run. But the identity and message of a team deeply matters for long-term, sustainable interest. Teams that define themselves with intention are better equipped to navigate challenges and celebrate triumphs. When a team defines its values, every action — from player volunteer work to fan appreciation events — becomes a powerful, consistent message that strengthens the bond with their fans. 

Expressions of your core values can transcend the action on the court, like how the New York Liberty’s “Timeless Torches” age 40 and up dance crew connects with women or its mascot, Ellie the Elephant, personifies the Brooklyn community. As their chief brand officer said recently, “The person who embodies Ellie is also from Brooklyn…And that really resonates with our fans.”

And when the Sacramento Kings built a new arena in downtown Sacramento, they stated a vision to create a “communal fireplace” in the community. Eight years later, the Kings were named “NBA Team of the Year” for its excellence in team business performance and recognized for its innovative approach, citing how they successfully bring fans together to celebrate, take photos and connect with each other – and the team. 

When done right, intentional messaging also builds a reputational cushion to protect you through a slump. Whether that’s a losing streak or a controversy around a player or executive, having a positive narrative that you can go back to consistently helps you build a reputation that can take a hit or two and survive. For instance, NBA teams like the San Antonio Spurs or Golden State Warriors, well-defined team values have helped to protect their brands through outspoken political commentary from coaches and athletes.  

Going on Offense: Your Spokespeople, Your Tactics Matter

Athletes may be the highest impact voices to showcase your team’s values, but most don’t stay with one team their entire careers (even though it’s hard to picture Angel Reese outside of Chicago or Trinity Rodman somewhere other than DC). Owners, front offices, team adjacent foundations, and even die-hard fans are more likely to be community fixtures for the long-term, but are less well-known. You need to use a range of these voices – and the right tactics – to position your team and organization well in the community and with fans. 

Your executives, team members, and partners all have a role to play in telling your story. To reach fan bases where they are, teams need to customize their messages to different segments of the base, ensure constant communication by leveraging all platforms available to them – online and off – and build in opportunities to hear from the fans as well. 

And your executives need to be prepared – we always recommend building communications playbooks for your entire team – executives, coaches, and managers – so that everyone has a unique voice that harmonizes to uplift the organization. 

The Right Expertise at the Right Moment

Winning hearts and minds requires a nuanced understanding of audience behavior, media dynamics, and value-driven communications. Our experience in strategic communications have positioned Precision uniquely to help sports teams succeed in this complex era. 

Take the Sacramento Kings. Precision helped the team navigate transformational moments—including building a new state-of-the-art arena in the city—to tell the story of a team doubling down on its commitment to Sacramento and using sports for good. Our wraparound communications strategy demonstrated their leadership in youth programs, civic engagement, and mental health awareness. As a result, the Kings were named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies and continue to receive praise for their industry-leading approach to technology and community initiatives.

Teams that embrace a value-focused, strategic communications approach—rooted in intentional messaging — will not only tap into this momentum but also secure their reputation and build a loyal, lasting fanbase for generations to come. The surging popularity of women’s sports has created an unprecedented opportunity for all sports teams to redefine their relationship with fans and make a lasting name for their brand. The time to make this strategic play is now—even if your team is already a champion. 

Deirdre Murphy Ramsey | Partner

Deirdre Murphy Ramsey is a communications strategist and crisis manager with over twenty years of experience in corporate, political and policy communications. At Precision, Deirdre has focused on helping corporate, non-profit, political, and advocacy clients implement strategic communications plans and respond to crises on a range of issues. She has worked with clients across diverse industries, from rebranding sports teams to improving reputations across the technology, entertainment, and energy sectors, and devising campaign-style advocacy strategies to drive messages and action across the country.

Previously, Deirdre led communications for IBM’s global government and policy team. She also served in several congressional and campaign roles, including national press secretary at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, press secretary for U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, and communications director for U.S. Senator Michael Bennet.