Genius Sports shares new insights into women’s sports fans and sports culture

The GIST: Today, sports data leader Genius Sports (which acquired Sports Innovation Lab in 2025) published the fifth edition of The Fan Project, Sports Innovation Lab’s long-running report series that examines the economic value of women’s sports fandom. The latest release, “Turning Culture Into Commerce,” shows how the culture of women’s sports is shaped by athlete entrepreneurs.

• When a popular athlete launches or co-signs a product, fans tend to be all in, which is good for their own endeavors as well as that of their brand partners. Let’s dive in.

🤝 The ROI on athlete partnerships is unmatched. Women’s sports fans are 3x more likely than men’s sports fans to buy from player-created brands. Whether it’s a skincare line or a signature shoe, fans are locked in when women athletes drop products.

🍼 Athlete-driven storytelling delivers big results. When Alex Morgan was retiring from soccer and pregnant with her second child, women-founded formula brand Bobbie reached out to the soccer legend. The timing was perfect, and so was the concept: After the campaign, women’s sports fans increased their spend with Bobbie by 33%. Just win, baby.

🎮 The industry should focus on women’s sports fans who double as gamers. These particular fans are 3.2x more likely than the general population to place a sportsbook bet, but have been largely overlooked by the betting industry.

✨ Women’s sports fans are living their best lives. They’re 2.6x more likely to attend concerts and festivals than general sports fans. This is where brands can meet them, especially at tentpole events like WNBA All-Star Weekend or festival-like tournaments like Athlos NYC.

🌎 Women’s sports fandom is more global than local. Only 7% of women’s sports fans follow a team due to its proximity compared to 30% of men’s sports fans. These followers are often digital natives, making them a highly-scalable audience no matter the team location. Portland is one place that proves this: The locale is small, but the fandom (and sponsorship interest) is outsized.

• This means supporting a women’s sports team is a national brand opportunity, not just a local one. USL W team Minnesota Aurora drew investors from all 50 states and 19 countries, while the NWSL’s Angel City FC ships merch to over 80 countries. World famous.