Advanced Television

Women’s sport pays off for advertisers

October 29, 2024

GroupM, the WPP buying agency, says it has “exceeded” its goal to double the annual media spend on women’s sports programming.

It had announced its intention to double its spend in the area earlier this year, in connection to the NCAA women’s college basketball tournament, which drew record-breaking ratings. Now it says it past that goal in months, with more than 20 major advertisers increasing their commitment to women’s sports, including Adidas, Adobe, Ally, Coinbase, Danone, Discover, Domino’s, DoorDash, Google, Indeed, Mars, method, Nationwide, Target, TJ Maxx, Unilever and Universal Pictures.

The spend boosted media companies as well, with Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount and YouTube all offering advertising opportunities for the 2024-2025 year.

“Doubling spend in women’s sports within a matter of months marks a significant milestone for our company and the industry alike,” said Matt Sweeney, chief investment officer of GroupM US. “While some clients have long been pioneers in this space, others are now broadening their commitments or making first-time investments. This surge of momentum reflects more than a passing trend — it’s a full-fledged movement.”

Among the media buys organised by GroupM were Indeed’s presenting sponsorship of college basketball on ESPN and the WNBA on Paramount platforms, a YouTube deal providing access to women’s sports audiences through an AI-powered Spotlight Moment and Google’s presenting sponsorship of the WNBA on Disney and the National Women’s Soccer League on Disney and Paramount platforms.

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