April 8 (Reuters) – Global revenues in women’s elite sports will reach at least $3 billion for the first time in 2026, marking an increase of 25% compared to last year, Deloitte said in a report on Wednesday.
Women’s elite sports generated $2.4 billion worldwide last year, mainly through basketball and soccer, after achieving growth of 248% from 2022 to 2025.
“Based on current projections, this is expected to rise to 340% between 2022 and 2026,” Deloitte said in a statement.
A quarter of the revenues will come from broadcast, and matchday revenues will contribute 30%.
“Surpassing the three-billion-dollar mark in 2026 would be a phenomenal achievement and would cement women’s sport firmly in the spotlight,” said Jennifer Haskel, knowledge and insights lead in the Deloitte Sports Business Group.
“However, it is important to recognise that it is still early days… the industry’s enduring success will be built on diligently collecting data, analysing its impact, and making corrections driven by these learnings.”
Football and basketball will remain the big earners, each bringing in about 35% of the total revenue in 2026.
“North America ($1.64 billion, 54% of total) and Europe ($434 million, 14%) are expected to remain the largest revenue-generating markets for women’s sport,” Deloitte added.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
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