The current Women’s European Championships 2025 are here – and so far, they’re the biggest one yet. The women’s game has seen huge growth over the last ten years, with notable increases in quality and professionalism driving larger sponsorships, higher revenues and faster growth than ever before.
Recent international tournaments have acted as financial catalysts for the women’s game – and this year’s tournament could be the watershed, bringing huge investment opportunities for SMEs looking to get into the grassroots game.
Euro 2025 – the numbers
Women’s football is big business, becoming the most valuable women’s sport globally in 2024, having generated an estimated €500m (£428m) annually – accounting for over 45% of female sports’ total revenue.
This year’s competition has ushered in a in a new age in terms of prize money, with €41m of prize money (£35.1m) available throughout the tournament – a 156% increase compared to the 2022 competition. Every qualifying nation is receiving €1.8m, while the winner will receive up to €5.1m.
The tournament’s growth is indicative of the growing resource that UEFA is committing to the women’s game, with €1bn (£856m) pledged to help develop and grow the sport over the next five years.
International tournament broadcast growth
The platforming of the game has experienced similar amounts of growth, with media rights revenue for the tournament reported at €85m (£72.7m) during June, a 142% increase from the previous tournament.
2022 saw a cumulative global live audience of over 365 million, more than double the 2017 event. For this year’s edition, 34 public broadcasters across Europe have agreed to show the tournament, ensuring wide free-to-air access, especially in smaller markets.
There’s no question that the women’s game is at its biggest and most prestigious to date, particularly on the international stage, suggesting that now’s a great time for UK SMEs to invest. But there’s evidence that further domestic investment in the game is reliant on international football.
Domestic implications
This year, the Women’s Super League (WSL) – the female equivalent of the Premier League – signed its biggest-ever TV broadcast deal, to the tune of approximately £65m over the next five seasons. Despite this, it’s clear that the pop culture impact of international tournaments is required to boost attendance – at least in the UK.
A recent report from the Women’s Sport Trust found that broadcast audiences for the WSL dropped by 35% year-on-year, following significant increases in the wake of the Lionesses’ triumph at Euro 2022 and run to the final at the 2023 World Cup.
Last season represented the first campaign since 2021 that did not immediately follow a major international tournament, with attendances also down by 10% compared to the previous year. A report from Deloitte’s Sports Business Group pointed to the lack of international football “drawing attention to the domestic game.”
It’s clear that domestic and grassroots football is heavily influenced by the impact of the international game – so a deep tournament run from the Lionesses at Euro 2025 could have massive implications for viewership at home and in-person, as well as for footballing enterprises at a grassroots level.
The grassroots game
Though bums in seats are down year-on-year, there’s no denying that women’s football in the UK is becoming increasingly relevant in popular culture. The Lionesses Euro 2022 triumph was a key watershed moment; over 30% of viewers began showing an interest in women’s football during that tournament, or during the following World Cup.
The number of women and girls playing football in the UK has increased by 56% following Euro 2022, indicating the huge growth potential for companies investing in the grassroots game.
SMEs interested in establishing sponsorships, partnerships or other commercial opportunities in women’s football should see this year’s tournament as a similar opportunity.
All the signs point to the continued growth of women’s football, making now the ideal time for SMEs to invest. The boost provided to the domestic game by international tournaments is well-documented; if your business is aiming to invest in women’s football, now could be the time.
