Women's Sports: It's Not Just a Trend, It's THE Trend

At Cannes Lions in June, TBWA CEO Erin Riley joined a powerhouse panel to discuss why investing in women's sports is a no-brainer. Here's the gist: Brands need to be advocates, not just sideline cheerleaders. Erin emphasised the difference between simply admiring women's sports and actively supporting them. She stated: “Women's sports aren't having a moment. They ARE the moment.”

Women's sports viewership is skyrocketing, and the 2024 Paris Olympics are seeing women's events stealing the show! Brands have a golden opportunity here. Fuse CEO Louise Johnson said it perfectly: “Brands chase consumers. We all serve consumer-led brands. If fans shift, brands will, too. We have the power to push brands to change.”

2023 was a game-changer for women's sports, with coverage quadrupling and major events like the Women's World Cup and NCAA basketball experiencing massive viewership growth. The future looks even brighter, with some predicting women's events will surpass men's in global viewership.

A TikTok Triumph: Redefining Women's Sports Broadcasting

Remember the struggle for women's sports in mainstream media? New Zealand just flipped the script!

While the 2023 Women's World Cup was a success, we know women's sports in mainstream media still have a long way to go. That's why New Zealand telecommunications provider 2degrees and TBWA/New Zealand partnered up to create history's first-ever TikTok broadcast of the Super Rugby Aupiki final.

The broadcast, with its special presenters, production, and interactive elements, was a smash hit – online viewership was five times higher than the number of people who attended the game in person!

Looking Ahead: 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Sports

As the global sports industry navigates this era of massive transformation, we're sharing Scoota’s 2024 outlook – five trends’ sports organisations are expected to face in the coming year and what that means for them.

Here's a quick peek at our 2024 outlook:

• The sports industry's overall finances are expected to stay strong in 2024. However, the commercial model, which has been undergoing significant changes in recent years, will likely continue to evolve across both traditional and emerging revenue streams.

• Expect to see many sports organisations invest heavily in collecting and managing their fan data to build robust fan databases.

• Get ready for generative AI to explode in the sports world. Over the next year or so, we expect to see a surge of innovative applications involving content creation, live sports coverage, player evaluation, sports betting, fan engagement, and even back-office operations.

• The Paris Games could be a turning point for the International Olympic Committee's “Olympic Agenda 2020.” They might showcase a new model for future Games, and potential host countries will be watching closely.

• College athletics has experienced a whirlwind of change in the past few years, with conference realignments and record-breaking NIL deals. Will 2024 be the year things settle down, or is more disruption on the horizon?

Why Do We Feel Entitled to Talk About Trends?

At Scoota, we pride ourselves on being a creative-first, omnichannel technology company. Our innovative technology and platform cater to forward-thinking brands, agencies, and publishers who seek more than the usual programmatic solutions. Over the past decade, we've partnered with major sports events and renowned brands like New Balance and EA Sports. This year, our dedication to excellence was recognised when we won the Creative Excellence Award at the JCDecaux UK Programmatic DOOH Live Awards 2024 for The Hundred campaign. This campaign was unlike any other cricket campaign; it integrated live data with dynamic creative elements to transform fans' experiences of The Hundred completely. Winning this award was a tremendous honour and a testament to the incredible teamwork and creativity of our Scoota team and our partners at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Threepipe Reply.

Moreover, in 2024, The Football Association, Scoota, VIOOH, Threepipe Reply, and JCDecaux launched an amazing initiative to spread personalised messages of support nationwide in the build-up to England's triumph. By incorporating real-time data, we ensured each location received tailored and powerful messages, showcasing the diversity within our team and among fans. This dynamic DOOH campaign highlighted and celebrated the importance of inclusivity in sport, pushing for inclusive marketing in football and beyond!