Women’s Sports Aren’t a “Parity Problem.” They’re an Undervalued Market.
I just finished reading Opendorse’s new whitepaper, “Powering the Movement,” on women’s sports, creator economics, and NIL. It’s a strong read, but it raises a question that comes up a lot:
Is the momentum in women’s sports just hype… or are we still at the very beginning of something much bigger?
Now look, I’m as big a supporter of women’s sports as I can be. Often the best way to make something big is to treat it like it’s big…and every time women’s sports has gotten those opportunities, they’ve been knocked out of the park (Ronda Rousey / UFC, the WNBA, etc.). Need more. But also there’s a data consideration here too, and if we want to look at this like investors…after going through the data, I’m convinced it’s the latter even more. Here’s why.
We’re Using the Wrong Lens
Most people frame the conversation around parity —
“When will women’s sports catch up to men’s?”
That framing is a trap. Markets don’t reward equality; markets reward mispricing, growth curves, and places where capital is asleep at the wheel.
Nebraska selling out a stadium for volleyball is a great cultural moment — but the investor question is different: Where’s the alpha? Where does the market remain inefficient?
The Delta That Matters
One stat from the report jumped out:
Women’s sports = <15% of total sports spend
Women/girls = ~50% of youth participation and digital engagement
That’s a 35-point mismatch between where audiences are and where dollars go.
Will that gap ever close entirely? Probably not. Does it matter? Absolutely.
Because in every market, the money is made in the gaps.
The Real Arbitrage
If you look at media efficiency today, a dollar put into women’s sports goes 4–6x farther than a dollar placed into men’s sports.
Because the audience is not bigger, but:
Undervalued
Underpriced
Over-performing
That is the definition of arbitrage.
And brands that understand this early are going to win disproportionately.
A Nice Bonus
The paper also gives a shoutout to an athlete I’ve worked with to help shape her young career, Nijaree Canady (page 11). Small correction for them: her reach has already climbed to 156K+.
This is exactly the type of athlete who proves the thesis- a women’s sports star outperforming her “market valuation” in real time.
Worth the Download
If you work in sports, marketing, or creator strategy, the full whitepaper is worth adding to your queue:
https://biz.opendorse.com/womens-sports-powering-the-college-athlete-influencer-movement/
