Women and Sport in Canada and IM Consulting released the report on April 22 Now is the time to harness the power of female professional sports fans.

This survey found that 67% of Canadians ages 13 to 65 consider themselves fans of women’s sports. That equates to more than 17 million Canadians.

Canadians who identify as fans of women’s sports would also be more diverse, educated and wealthier than the general Canadian population.

In fact, 41% of Canadians ages 13 to 65 consider themselves “big fans” and regularly follow professional or elite women’s sports, including major events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Among the followers, 53% are men, 46% are women and 1% are gender-specific.

Future

8 in 10 women’s sports fans are excited about the future of women’s sports in Canada, and 6 in 10 also believe brands should do more to support women’s sports in the country.

“We have seen trends and evidence over the past few years, but now we have credible – and exclusively Canadian – data that proves that female sports fans are an important and attractive audience for brands and investors,” said Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, executive director of Women and Sport Canada, in a press release.

“Professional sport for women is no longer a hypothetical possibility,” she adds. Case studies have been written, potentials identified and records broken. It is time to invest more boldly in professional women’s sport in Canada.”

Note that the data in the report was determined from a study conducted in fall 2023 with more than 2,000 Canadians. (NP)