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Throughout stadiums, screens and new digital platforms, women’s sport appears as a fertile territory that Latin America still does not dare to conquer. As Europe and the UK begin to reap the rewards of investing in the talent of their female athletes, our region is just waking up to a possibility that could revive a battered content industry hungry for new audiences.
Women’s sport: a market force still underestimated
By: Gabriel E. Levy B.
For decades, women’s sport struggled to escape the corner of invisibility. Although the Olympic Games began to open formal spaces for women since the beginning of the twentieth century, the consolidation of leagues, tournaments and large-scale media events for them remained a pending debt in many parts of the world.
In Latin America, this debt became almost chronic.
The sociologist Pierre Bourdieu already warned that sport is a symbolic battlefield where power relations are at stake. From this perspective, the scarce media development of women’s sport in Latin America was not an accident, but a reflection of deeper social structures that were slow to recognize the value of women in all public spheres.
In Europe and the United Kingdom, however, the landscape began to transform. A recent report published by Advanced Television reveals that women’s sport managed not only to capture the attention of new audiences, but also to generate revenue streams that are beginning to seriously compete with some traditional men’s categories. This is a paradigm shift that Latin America still observes from a distance.
“Latin America: A Media Ecosystem in Crisis”
The content industry in Latin America is going through one of its biggest crises. With advertising revenues plummeting, digital subscriptions stagnant and the massive migration of young audiences to global platforms, local broadcasters and production companies are almost desperately looking for new growth engines.
According to a report by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, between 2020 and 2024 investment in original content in Latin America fell by 18%, particularly affecting sports formats. The saturation of men’s events, low innovation in formats and the disconnection with emerging audiences, such as women and young people, deepened this trend.
Women’s sport offers a fresh opportunity: a new narrative, inspiring stories, figures who embody diversity and resilience, ingredients that the global market has already shown that they know how to attract non-traditional audiences. Moreover, as sports journalist Shireen Ahmed underlines, women’s sport is not only about representation, but about reimagining the values that are associated with sport itself: collaboration, inclusion and community.
In Latin America, however, the large media conglomerates have shown little enthusiasm. With specific exceptions – such as the broadcast of the Copa Libertadores Femenina or some national team matches – the bulk of the investment continues to be focused on men. A strategic mistake that threatens to further marginalize the region from new global trends.
“The numbers don’t lie: a real business opportunity”
The Advanced Television report provides revealing data: 63% of sports consumers in Europe expressed interest in following women’s competitions if the media offered them in a consistent and quality way. In the United Kingdom, events such as Women’s Euro 2022 attracted television audiences in excess of 17 million viewers, in several cases surpassing men’s first division matches.
In Latin America, where 50% of the population is under 30 years of age and where gender equality is a growing banner in social and cultural movements, the potential for a “boom” in women’s sport seems even greater. However, the lack of sustained strategies, investment in quality production and narratives adapted to Latin American audiences conspire against this possible growth.
Professor David Goldblatt, author of The Ball is Round, stresses that sport is not simply entertainment, but a mirror of a society’s collective aspirations. If Latin America does not seriously and structurally incorporate women’s sport into its media grids, it will not only lose a business opportunity, but also to tune in to the most profound cultural transformations of its time.
Resistance also has cultural roots. Prejudices persist about the supposed “less spectacularity” of women’s sports, a perception that the data belies. According to the European study, the level of emotion, competitiveness and emotional connection perceived in women’s sports equalled or exceeded their male counterparts in several cases.
“Cases that show the ignored potential”
Some examples in Latin America are beginning to hint at the future that could be. In Argentina, the professionalization of women’s soccer in 2019 marked a turning point: matches such as the final between Boca Juniors and San Lorenzo registered record streaming figures on open platforms. In Brazil, the Brazilian Football Confederation forced Serie A clubs to have women’s teams as a requirement for participation in men’s tournaments, pushing for an unprecedented expansion.
In Mexico, the Liga MX Femenil experienced an unexpected boom: in 2022, the final between Tigres and América at the Universitario stadium brought together more than 50,000 people live, a number that exceeds the average attendance of many men’s matches in the region. In addition, the streaming and digital consumption figures of women’s matches increased by 45% in the last year.
These cases are not isolated exceptions, but signs of a latent appetite that needs consistent and quality supply to consolidate. In all of them, investment in narrative, modern audiovisual production and inclusive marketing strategies were key to success.
Commercial brands are also beginning to wake up. Sponsors such as Nike, Visa and Pepsi are increasingly investing in female athletes and teams, understanding that these figures connect more authentically with the values of diversity, inclusion and sustainability that new generations demand.
In conclusion
Women’s sport represents not only a business opportunity in Latin America, but also a cultural and social imperative. If the content industry doesn’t accelerate its bet, it risks being left behind in a global marketplace that is moving toward diversity and innovation. The ball is already in play: all that remains is for someone in the region to decide to kick it decisively.
References:
- Bourdieu, Pierre. The distinction. Taurus Editions, 1979.
- Goldblatt, David. The Ball is Round: A Global History of Football. Penguin Books, 2006.
- Ahmed, Shireen. “Women in sports media.” Media Matters for Democracy, 2021.
- “Study: Women’s sport has a broad appeal” – Advanced Television, 2025.
