The pandemic led to many sweeping changes in the way we both view and operate within society and one notable transformation is the rise in popularity of women’s sports.

Owing to lockdowns around the world forcing populations to seek entertainment at home along with increased coverage across major channels, women’s sports have had a significant boost in viewership, finance and sentiment. According to Sky Sports, a fifth of UK adults increased their following of women’s sport over lockdown.

This phenomenon was demonstrated at the end of July in spectacular fashion when England’s Lionesses took on Germany in the Final of the Euro’s in front of 87,192 fans – a record number – beating all previous male sporting fixtures. In addition, Madison Square Garden, a US sporting institution, played host to a moment in history when Katie Taylors’ boxing fight against Amanda Serrano sold out the venue for the first time ever.

These extra eyeballs, media coverage and interest has led to a boost in sponsorship and investment, important for the progress of any sport. In February 2022, the US Soccer governing body announced a settlement in a longstanding pay dispute, with the federation agreeing to pay both the men’s and women’s teams equally in their next contract. Along with a backdated payment worth $22 million, this was a momentous moment in the often-embattled story of women’s sport. It echoed a similar campaign in women’s tennis in their long fight for equal prize money, starting in the 1970’s with Billy Jean King and continued by Serena Williams in the modern era. 

Although there is still a long way to go, the future is certainly looking bright for women’s sports, perhaps proving that change is more often a marathon than a sprint.

Chartwell has an exciting range of female speakers and athletes who we can arrange to speak at your event including:

For more speakers on the topic, please see here and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like to enquire further.