By Ashok Namboodri
With less than 50 days to go for the ICC Women’s World Cup, it is a good idea to pause and think about the economics of women’s cricket leagues. While the narrative around women’s sport has gained momentum globally, the hard economics tell a story of cautious optimism laced with stubborn challenges.
Senior figures in sports broadcasting still view women’s cricket as an “emerging but high-risk asset”. Viewership remains heavily skewed towards men, reducing the incentive for brands seeking women-first consumer audiences. Advertisers perceive men’s cricket as a safer investment with proven returns, making it harder for the women’s game to break into mainstream brand portfolios.
Even marquee events like the ICC Women’s World Cup struggle to command premium rates. Cost-per-thousand (CPM) ad rates are falling, sponsorship categories remain narrow, and integration formats are largely traditional, logo placement, on-ground branding, and limited activation, with little of the innovation that men’s cricket enjoys.
The financial equation is further complicated by a cost structure not far removed from the men’s game. Women’s matches may have slightly fewer camera setups, but production savings are marginal. Rights fees, however, can be steep relative to monetisation potential.
“Viacom18’s acquisition of WPL media rights for 2023–27 at ₹951 crore (₹7.09 crore per match) set a record for women’s sport in India, ranking third globally for a women’s league. Yet, the revenue streams — advertising, sponsorship, ticketing — have not scaled proportionately. ICC’s more relaxed production specifications for women’s matches may also subtly reinforce the perception of a secondary product, hindering premium pricing,” says a senior business professional from the broadcasting industry.
Efforts to deepen engagement through storytelling have had mixed success. Documentaries, player backstories, and behind-the-scenes specials have not yet translated into significant monetisation. The challenge is twofold: an audience that still tunes in primarily for live matches, and execution that has yet to match the emotional pull of equivalent content in men’s sport.
The most promising monetisation trend lies not in broadcast but on social platforms such as Instagram. Player-generated content, short-form clips, and casual behind-the-scenes reels are showing both high engagement and incremental revenue potential. This aligns with the broader trend in sports consumption, where younger audiences, the demographic most open to women’s sport, are mobile-first and creator-driven.
Globally, women’s leagues have faced similar challenges but have found ways to grow. The WNBA has been successful in attracting socially conscious brands and leveraging its players’ activist profiles to broaden its sponsor base. The Hundred has bundled men’s and women’s fixtures in the same ticket, ensuring equal crowds and exposure while normalising women’s cricket as part of the main product, and the Australian WBBL has built strong grassroots pipelines, which translated into higher playing standards and a more competitive product that sponsors could confidently back.
In order to achieve commercial sustainability and narrow the gap with the men’s game, the pathway likely includes investing in player pathways, coaching infrastructure, and production values to make the women’s product visually and competitively compelling. Sponsorship needs to move beyond perimeter ads to deeper integrations, branded digital content, in-match experiences, and hybrid physical-digital campaigns. Cater to younger audiences by empowering players as digital creators to drive brand affinity and social-first monetisation.
The economic hurdles for women’s cricket are significant, but they are not insurmountable. International precedent shows that with sustained investment in quality, smart packaging, and a digital-first approach, women’s cricket can move from being a “high-risk asset” to a stable and attractive proposition for broadcasters and brands alike. The transition, however, will take time, and patience may be the most important capital the game needs right now.
Follow Revsportz for latest sports news