While broadcast viewership is down 13%, women’s sport’s growth on social platforms such as TikTok and YouTube suggests a different trend is emerging.
Ahead of a bumper summer of sport, the Women’s Sport Trust’s latest visibility report sheds light on what is happening among audiences, broadcasters and digital platforms.
According to the analysis, in collaboration with insights agency GSIQ, viewership is down year-on-year, with a 13% decline in three-minute UK broadcast reach between January and May 2025. This is the first decline since 2022. However, it doesn’t mean fans aren’t watching and brands shouldn’t be investing.
The drop in viewership coincides with a 15% reduction in coverage hours and a decline in Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL) and Guinness Women’s Six Nations (W6N) average audiences.
Ahead of a bumper summer of sport, the Women’s Sport Trust’s latest visibility report sheds light on what is happening among audiences, broadcasters and digital platforms.
According to the analysis, in collaboration with insights agency GSIQ, viewership is down year-on-year, with a 13% decline in three-minute UK broadcast reach between January and May 2025. This is the first decline since 2022. However, it doesn’t mean fans aren’t watching and brands shouldn’t be investing.
The drop in viewership coincides with a 15% reduction in coverage hours and a decline in Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL) and Guinness Women’s Six Nations (W6N) average audiences.
BWSL’s broadcast audience fell by 35%, while W6N’s reach dropped from 8.1 million to 6.6 million.
“Progress isn’t linear,” says Women’s Sport Trust CEO Tammy Parlour. “There will be fluctuations and not all metrics will move in the same direction at the same time.”
However, she describes the broader picture for women’s sport as one of “momentum and opportunity”, noting that investment is continuing to rise.
Growth in digital
The “unprecedented” growth in digital channels suggests the media mix for women’s sport is evolving.
The first five months of 2025 saw a 105% increase in TikTok views for the eight most-viewed women’s sport accounts on the platform. On YouTube, this figure is 84%.
In the UK, BWSL’s digital engagement was the highest, with 56 million TikTok views, 20 million YouTube views and 6 million Instagram engagements. Globally, the Women’s National Basketball Association led the way with 131 million views and the Women’s Tennis Association came out on top on YouTube, with 75% growth to 63 million views.
“It’s hugely encouraging to see women’s sport thriving on digital platforms, with athletes, teams and leagues leveraging new ways to connect with fans. This ecosystem – built through collaboration between broadcasters, rights holders and platforms – is vital to continuing the sport’s growth,” says Parlour.
However, she cautions the decline in broadcast viewership is a reminder of the “fierce competition” for audience attention.
“We must ensure that investment in production and distribution keeps pace with fan demand and the quality of the sport on offer,” says Parlour.
She describes the report as sending a “strong signal” to brands that digital engagement in women’s sport is growing fast and the opportunity to connect with fans, particularly through player-led content, has “never been greater”.
“The upcoming UEFA Women’s EURO will bring a wave of attention, but the real value lies in showing up consistently – not just in the big moments,” Parlour adds. “The brands that invest now, with the right tone and timing, will be the ones that build lasting connections as the audience matures.”
