Women's elite sports revenues to reach $3 billion in 2026, Deloitte says

Football - FIFA Women's World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - England Training - St George's Park, Burton upon Trent, Britain - Apr 8, 2026 England's Erica Parkinson during training. 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 percent compared with last year, Deloitte said in a report on Wednesday.

Women's elite sports generated $2.4 billion worldwide last year, mainly through basketball and football, after achieving growth of 248 percent from 2022 to 2025.

"Based on current projections, this is expected to rise to 340 percent between 2022 and 2026," Deloitte said in a statement.

A quarter of the revenues will come from broadcast, and matchday revenues will contribute 30 percent.

"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 percent of the total revenue in 2026.

"North America ($1.64 billion, 54 percent of total) and Europe ($434 million, 14 percent) are expected to remain the largest revenue-generating markets for women’s sport," Deloitte added.