Media and business conglomerates have overlooked the profitability of women’s sports for ages. Companies have bundled women’s sports media coverage into other deals on streaming platforms, and organizations have failed to provide equal pay to female athletes. Even fewer corporations give female athletes the same kind of sponsorship deals that push male athletes to icon status.
Sports science has largely been based on male physiology too–women are more likely to suffer ACL injuries as well as concussions. Oversight on optimal female athlete recovery and injury prevention is shortening players’ careers and restricting women’s sports leagues. This inattention to female athletes extends to female fans, too, though in a different way. The options for female merch pale in the face of numerous men’s options, and the designs are often outdated and unflattering. Women’s polos with team logos, cheetah print and tie dye caps, and cropped sweatshirts with tacky script fonts don’t make the cut for many female fans.
A study titled “The Female Economy” from Harvard Business Review shows that women control consumer spending but “feel vastly underserved” despite that, in aggregate, they “represent a growth market bigger than China and India combined.” However, companies “continue to offer them poorly conceived products and services and outdated marketing narratives that promote female stereotypes.”
That sums up the slew of pink baseball caps and lace-up tank tops companies like Fanatics and Rally House offer women. Women will likely spend more on apparel, especially if it presents better fit and affordability. Opportunities for companies to make more money knock on their door. Unfortunately, they seem blind to the wants of women.
Besides the dearth of stylish apparel, women’s sports have fewer merch options than men’s leagues. According to a Klarna report, “women’s sports leagues have more than seven times fewer apparel options than their men’s affiliates, and for every nine pieces of men’s sports merch available, women’s have only one.” Undercoverage of women’s sports in media, content, and podcasts carries over to undercoverage in fan services, ultimately overlooking female and male fans of women’s leagues.
Fanatics sold out of Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever jersey a mere hour after she was drafted last year. Supply for women’s sports apparel isn’t keeping up with demand. So, alternatives are filling in the gaps.
Togethxr is a media and commerce brand founded by athletes and Olympians Alex Morgan (US Women’s National Team soccer player), Chloe Kim (snowboarder), Simone Manuel (swimmer), and Sue Bird (WNBA player). You’ve most likely encountered a t-shirt or sweatshirt emblazoned with an “x” and the phrase “Everybody Watches Women’s Sports.”
Togethxr’s goal of increasing access to female athletes aims to kickstart a career or bring in sponsorships by bringing coverage to where fans are: social media. They’ve produced web series and specials on women in sports, hosted events, distributed newsletters, and offered a women’s sports schedule to add to your Google calendar. Togethxr’s website states: “Women make up 44% of all participants in sport yet only receive less than 16% of sports media coverage.” Especially for Olympians of non-league sports like Kim and Manuel, athletes only have the spotlight for a few weeks before media coverage fades away. Togethxr wants to keep the attention on those female athletes.
Fashion also draws a lot of attention to athletes and events in general. Millions of people watch award shows for the red-carpet looks debuted by celebrities and stars. Perhaps new designs could create a draw to women’s sports that have them coming back for more.
Tunnel fashion, the outfits athletes wear as they arrive at the stadium/arena/court/field for their games, generates tons of interaction on social media. Tiffany “Tip” Hayes, a shooting guard for the Las Vegas Aces, even co-founded the fashion brand Seyah Renara. Hayes wears their clothes in the tunnels of the Unrivaled Basketball League and has even dressed teammate Kate Martin, guard for the WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries. Fans commented on Martin’s surprisingly chic outfit online with one fan writing, “I love those pants Kate. Where can I get a pair?”
The wives and girlfriends (WAGs) of the athletes want that same ability to draw attention with their fashion. Kristin Juszczyk, wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, felt sports fashion was restricted to jerseys on game days. So, Juszczyk formed her own merch brand for select NFL teams and players called Off Season to create clothes meant for every day of the year. Off Season sells puffer vests, jackets, and long puffers, the last of which are currently sold out. The retail price for the vests is $295, and the puffer long coats cost $495. Clearly, people are willing to shell out for high-quality, trendy apparel,further highlighting the market’s potential. Taylor Swift, Britney Mahomes, and Simone Biles have showcased Juszczyk’s coats at sports events in the past. Looking forward, Juszczyk wants to expand production. She said, “We’re thinking about corsets for the girls, fun little tops, and also cool silhouettes for the guys.”
That is what the sports apparel world is missing. Lean away from the traditional takes on female apparel and look at the direction of overall fashion. Increase supply of merchandise for women’s sports. It’ll take a little bit more than simply slapping a logo onto those trending items, but hey, it’s better than a leopard print baseball hat designed for a man’s head. Research points to women’s sports markets being profitable. That should be more than enough incentive for all the companies out there.
