Sport-More fans are tuning into women’s sports, Nielsen report finds

Aug 13 : Women’s sports attracted 28.6 billion minutes of views in the U.S. in the first half of 2026, a Nielsen report released on Thursday showed, marking an 18 per cent increase over the same period last year.Women’s sports entered 2026 on a high after experiencing unprecedented growth last year, with new franchises and leagues, bigger television audiences and greater advertising impact.Nielsen’s analysis found 122.5 million Americans – or 52.8 per cent of the total population – are now interested in women’s sports.The data is part of the firm’s report on the commercial and cultural evolution of women’s sports. Advertising spend on women's sports is up 120 per cent since 2022, Nielsen said, and 52 per cent of consumers agree brands and sponsors should invest more in women’s sports. “The