Landmark World Cup kicks off bonanza for women's sports

Sponsors set to spend big on female stars as Paris 2024 presents more opportunities

A gender-equal Olympic Games this summer will coincide with increasing sponsorship opportunities for female athletes, experts say, after the FIFA Women's World Cup underscored the growing popularity of women's sports in 2023.

Organizers say Paris 2024 will be the first Games to feature an equal number of male and female athletes, a landmark that has been a long time coming after years of work by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to create equitable medal opportunities.

Regarding sponsorship, men's sports still dominate. A Sports Innovation Lab survey, which included more than 25 Fortune 500 brands, found only about 9 percent of respondents' sports media and sponsorship dollars were spent on women's sports last year.