LONDON, OCTOBER 2, 2024 – New research released today by Sid Lee London x Appinio reveals the true extent to which female athletes’ lack of mainstream fame is hindering the growth of women’s sports competitions and events.
The study – which analysed the attitudes of men and women aged 18-66 across four sports properties in the US and four in the UK* – shows that female athletes aren’t as famous, even among fans of the competitions they play in, compared to their male counterparts.
Sid Lee London – the specialist sport hub of global creative powerhouse Sid Lee – describes this discrepancy as The Fame Gap.
The report found, on average, a combined 72% fame gap when looking at unprompted awareness and social media followings between top athletes in the male and female competitions, representing a ‘fame trap’ for women’s sport: what would most help it grow is what it lacks compared to men’s sport.
The research, carried out in partnership with global market research provider Appinio, also identifies differences in the marketing communications fans of women’s sport value compared to fans of men’s sport, and what attributes they value in their favourite athletes.
Other key insights from The Fame Gap include:
- The fame of individual athletes is an important tool in recruiting new fans for women’s sport. Fans were 51% more likely to start following women’s sport due to buzz about an individual athlete on social media, or in the news.
- The favour of individual athletes is significantly more important in driving attendance in women’s sport than men’s. In a MaxDiff analysis it was ranked as more important than the atmosphere, team rivalries, importance of the game, and whether friends or family are going, as an attendance driver meaning female athletes’ comparative lack of fame is limiting rights holders’ ability to put bums on seats.
- Women’s sports fans are more digitally engaged. They are significantly more likely to follow players on social media than fans of men’s sports. They are also more likely to follow tournaments and teams on social media and participate in online communities.
- When building the fame of female athletes, acting as a role model, standing up for what they believe, and appearing in non-sports media are more important to fans of women’s sport.
Commenting on The Fame Gap, Sid Lee London’s Creative Director, Laura Randall, says:
“The Fame Gap reveals the true extent to which athlete fame is vital to driving growth, and that fans differ both in their marketing preferences and in the characteristics they value in athletes. The research also reinforces the fact that women’s sport requires differentiated marketing approaches from those that have been successful in growing male sports..
“Women’s sports fans have told us entertaining social content is even more important than in men’s sport, and coverage outside of the sport that creates a fuller picture of the athlete’s personality is key to making female athletes famous. These insights are invaluable in building a marketing strategy that can propel women’s sport and narrow the gap to male athletes and competitions that currently exists.”
Sid Lee London’s Head of Strategy, Rory Natkiel, who authored the report adds:
“The Fame Gap has significant implications for rights holders and sponsors as they seek to maximise the long-term commercial value of women’s sport. Ultimately, somebody has to take the plunge and make a significant long-term investment to break the vicious circle of women’s sport lacking the famous athletes it needs to grow.
Our report suggests a new focus for marketing communications and, at a more fundamental level, how rights are negotiated and sold in women’s sport. To increase fan acquisition and match-day attendance, sponsors, broadcasters, and rights-holders must collaborate to make female athletes famous.”
Hayley Moorhouse, UK Research Lead at Appinio who conducted the research, comments:
“We’ve measured the attitudes of men’s sports fans and women’s sports fans across a range of sports competitions in the UK and the US and, despite geographical nuances, it’s clear that the fame of athletes has a direct impact on the ability to attract new fans, increase engagement, and drive commercial growth in sports. What the research highlights is that the marketing approaches are often not aligned with the preferences of women’s sports fans and there’s a huge opportunity for brands and rights holders to build female athlete profiles among women’s sports fans. ”
Sid Lee London is the specialist sport hub within the global Sid Lee creative collective. The agency offers clients creative-led, full-service capabilities that deliver fame-driving campaigns and activations, focused on building awareness and advocacy, unlocking new audiences, and mass engagement for its clients.
Sid Lee London’s growing roster of top-tier sports rightsholders and brands includes adidas, Visa, FIFA, UEFA, Lidl, OnePlus, and London Sport.
Download The Fame Gap report in full HERE.
