Sport-More fans are tuning into women’s sports, Nielsen report finds

Aug 13 (Reuters) – Women’s sports attracted 28.6 billion minutes of views in the U.S. in the first half of 2026, a Nielsen report released on Thursday showed, marking an 18% increase over the same period last year.

Women’s sports entered 2026 on a high after experiencing unprecedented growth last year, with new franchises and leagues, bigger television audiences and greater advertising impact.

Nielsen’s analysis found 122.5 million Americans – or 52.8% of the total population – are now interested in women’s sports.

The data is part of the firm’s report on the commercial and cultural evolution of women’s sports.

Advertising spend on women’s sports is up 120% since 2022, Nielsen said, and 52% of consumers agree brands and sponsors should invest more in women’s sports.  

“The rise in popularity of women’s sports isn’t just a fleeting trend; it is a cultural re-alignment where access to games, storytelling around athletes and ongoing investment from brands are changing the economy and energy of global sports,” Charlene Polite Corley, Nielsen’s vice president of inclusive insights, said in a release.

The WNBA, which welcomed its first Canadian team this season, hit 3.8 billion minutes viewed for the 2026 season leading into the All-Star weekend break, Nielsen said, adding that the league has experienced a 71% increase in sponsor valuation.

Women are also becoming more present in the wider sports audience, including in fan bases across men’s leagues. 

Among the estimated 16 million new sports fans, nine million are women, Nielsen found, and 48% of U.S. women say they are very interested in at least one sport.

The NBA has experienced the largest year-over-year growth in female viewership between 2024 and 2026, up 55%, while the NHL is second at 44%, according to Nielsen.

(Reporting by Nicole Fernandes in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)