By Andrew Warshaw
June 8 – With no senior men’s tournament to take centre stage, record after record looks set to be smashed at the women’s World Cup in Canada which began at the weekend.
A new attendance record of 53,058 was set at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium for the opening game between the hosts and China, the largest crowd to ever watch a national team in any sport in Canada.
Four years ago, more than 400 million viewers tuned into the tournament in Germany and predictions are that this could more than double in Canada now that there are 24 finalists.
The tournament is due to be broadcast in 187 territories and has already helped to restore the game’s credibility after a week of scandal at FIFA.
Canadian Soccer Association’s Victor Montagliani says the event will not be damaged despite the dramatic developments off the field.
It is not expected that Sepp Blatter will attend the final in Vancouver on July 5 but Montagliani said: “Women’s football is a pure form of football. It can shine light on to the dark clouds hanging over the game, which has lost some of its moral compass.”
Prize money has been increased to $15 million, with winners taking home $2 million, up by 50% from four years ago.
According to SportsDNA data by Repucom, leading advisers in sports and entertainment, global interest in women’s football has risen from 16% in 2011 to 21% in 2014. Repucom research shows that the FIFA Women’s World Cup itself has a global fan base of over 200 million.
In the United States, where coverage of the tournament is being broadcast by Fox for the first time there are 35.5 million potential fans, the second-largest single market behind China. Fox plans to broadcast five games in prime-time.
Michael O’Hara Lynch, Repucom’s US Head of Consulting, said: “Based on what we saw at the 2014 Brazil FIFA World Cup, the London 2012 Olympic Games, and the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, expect record North American interest in the 2015 FIFA World Cup.
“Football continues to grow in the United States and Canada through the ongoing success and expansion of Major League Soccer, United Soccer League, a rejuvenated National Women’s Soccer League, the men’s and women’s US national teams’ competitive performance, and grassroots programmes. Favourable broadcast time zones, and exploding digital and social media engagement, will provide a compelling North American platform for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.”
Lynch added: “A new coveted millennial generation of fans are being captured, making football an increasingly attractive proposition for sponsors – and the women’s game offers a comparatively blank canvas for brands. As FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 will likely show, women’s football offers compelling commercial opportunities.”
In overall terms, across global markets measured by Repucom, female interest in football around the world has increased from 34.3% in May 2011 to 43% in November 2014.
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