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Women’s Sport, Fandom & the Untapped Opportunity
We are a sport-loving nation. 67% of the UK watches, plays, and engages with sport on some kind of level. With women’s sport on the rise, brands and rightsholders are desperately trying to convert these lovers of sport into lovers of the women’s game.
According to our recent nation-wide research, only 1 in 10 adults actively follow women’s sport on a regular basis—but with 48% open to following it in the future, the opportunity for growth is clear.
Using our proprietary Fan Emotion Index, Sport UNLIMITED has dug below the surface to look closely at the fans of women’s sport. Bringing together a panel of industry and Human Understanding Lab experts, we’ll unpick who you should be targeting and which emotional levers you should be pulling to drive action in this space.
13 March 2025
09.00
30 Fenchurch Street, EC3M 3BD
Join us at 9am at 30 Fenchurch Street on Thursday 13th March for a spot of breakfast and insights:
From casual to convert
Almost 3/4 of women’s sport fans fall into the ‘casual’ or ‘social’ category. How can we transform these individuals into more devoted fans?
Bridging the rift
The ‘quality of play’ and ‘thrill of the game’ are key motivating factors for sports fandom. How do we challenge the perception that this is missing when it comes to women’s sport?
Enter our Fan Emotion Index
What are the rational and emotional motivations we need to focus on to engage fan action?
MEET THE EXPERTS
Andy Walton
Group Account Director, Sport UNLIMITED
Andy has over 15 years of marketing experience across primarily the sports and automotive sectors—both agency and brand side, and across the full marketing mix. Andy helps brands and rightsholders utilise audience insights to deliver memorable and impactful campaigns. A keen supporter of women’s sport, Andy is a coach for his daughter’s rugby team and regularly attends women’s sport fixtures with his family.
Caz Nicholls
Head of Comms – Planning, Strategy & Engagement, England & Wales Cricket Board
Caz is Head of Comms – Planning, Strategy & Engagement at the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Caz also leads the comms for The Hundred, which in 2024 saw the landmark milestone of one million fans attending The Hundred women’s competition. As a strategic planner with 15+ years’ agency and in-house experience, Caz is driven by insights, motivated by an impact-first approach to measurement and gets a kick from a brave, audience-first strategy. Prior to the ECB, Caz has worked with a range of brands (both in and out of sport) including, The FA, Southampton FC, Spotify, Marriott, Canon, Singapore Tourism Board, and Nestle, both in the UK and Australia.
Matt Farnes
Women’s Rugby Marketing Manager, England Rugby
Matt has been with the RFU for 6 years. Working as Women’s Rugby Marketing Manager for the past 3 years, his focus lies in delivering campaigns to increase digital engagement and ticket sales for the Red Roses. Matt previously held roles across major brands like Lucozade and Ribena. He’ll be bringing his expertise across digital channels and women’s sport fandom to the panel
Sophie Marsh
Senior Account Manager, Sport UNLIMITED
Sophie’s sport marketing career began in the world of events—from golf, to cycling, to mass-participation running events. She has worked with both rightsholders and sponsors, including The R&A, McLaren Racing, HEINEKEN, Deloitte, AEG Events, and Live Nation. Sophie is passionate about the growth of women’s sport and strives to ensure brands and rightsholders are maximising every opportunity within this growing sector.
Dr Simon Collister
Director, Human Understanding Lab
Simon is a highly accomplished research and strategy consultant with extensive experience helping high-profile global businesses solve complex challenges through insight, creativity, and communications. Simon applies his expertise across neuro, behavioural, and data science to drive business impact across the end-to-end customer journey.