Revenue for club’s in the Women’s Super League increased 60% in the 2021-22 season to set a new record for the league.
Deloitte gathered and published the figures which show clubs brought in a combined revenue £32million which was up from £20million the season before, with new commercial and broadcast deals being the main factors.
Wages rose 37% to £25million but because of the higher revenue clubs were able to bring down their aggregate wages-to-revenue ratio from 92% to 78% although clubs still made an aggregate pre-tax loss of £14m.
Zoe Burton, director in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said “The women’s game achieved significant leaps in revenue in the 2021-22 season. The Lionesses’ success at the UEFA Women’s Euros is pinned as an inflexion point for the popularity of women’s football, so it’s telling that even before this historic win revenues had begun to grow in the Women’s Super League. We have already seen new records set for attendance, viewership and the value of commercial partnerships in the 2022-23 season. Organisations should not be shy about the commercial opportunities available in women’s football, and we are now reaching the point where clubs can seek to maximise the value associated with the women’s game by unbundling revenue streams to target a unique fanbase.”
Deloitte forecasts WSL revenues to continue to grow next season following a new title sponsorship deal and hopes that the FIFA Women’s World Cup will benefit the game in the same way the Lionesses’ success has.
