Sue Schneider is a longtime gaming executive with a storied and recognized career that has earned her a spot in the Sports Betting Hall of Fame. A member of the SBC team from 2018-2024, Schneider now serves as the co-founder of Defy the Odds, a startup launchpad dedicated to driving innovation in the gaming sector.
In her debut column focused on the gaming start up space, Schneider makes the argument that everyone needs to pay more attention to women’s sports.
One of the exciting things about startups is watching them ride the wave of trends in the gaming industry and beyond. At Defy the Odds, we’ve been meeting with lots of startups and have seen a definite specialty forming related to women’s sports.
First of all, the variety of professional women’s sports is growing. The veteran women’s leagues are basketball (WNBA) and soccer (in the U.S., NWSL). The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) is a showcase for players in that sport and the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has been solid for a number of years. A host of new leagues have emerged such as the Elite Rugby League, two professional hockey leagues, the new 3 on 3 basketball league called Unrivaled and the U.S. Professional Football League. Add to that equation FIFA World Cup competitions as well as a variety of college sports, notably NCAA women’s basketball, both of which have been enormously popular. All of that adds up to a wealth of games to watch and bet on.
The trend is not just in the U.S. either. The Women’s Super League is a great example of how U.K. fans are getting on that bandwagon. One can point to the growth of women’s soccer now in federations and associations in many countries, notably in Latam which has produced some great female athletes for the game and in Australia though their A-League. The same holds true for women’s cricket in the Caribbean and South Asia. Kansas City boasts the only dedicated women’s soccer stadium in the world.
The good news for women’s sports is the economics. Media rights deals, ticket sales, sponsorships and other revenue streams are growing. The WNBA recently signed an 11 year $2.2 billion rights deal with Disney, NBCU and Amazon. The first gender-equal Olympics last summer showed that 60% of the 30.6 million viewers per day watched more women’s sports than men’s. Over 12.7 million viewers watched the finals for women’s gymnastics alone.
And, actually, the fan experience is different. I’ve spoken with folks who have been to both Men’s and Women’s World Cups and they remarked on the differences. The women’s games tend to be more friendly, fun and family-oriented, and that formula bodes well for future generations of fans. USWNT friendlies that I’ve attended have had lots of little girls and whole teams attending. I’ll always remember one that brought in some iconic pros like Brandi Chastain and the lines were huge for those little girls to meet them and get their picture taken with them. A very heartwarming sight.
The best part is that this is slowly making a difference in pay for female athletes. There’s still a long way to go to achieve pay equity; but, at least it is going in the right direction. FIFA’s World Cup is an oft-cited example of the inequality. The players in the Women’s World Cup make 25% of what those in the Men’s World Cup make. I’ve long thought this was particularly egregious in the U.S. where the USWNT often took first place and the USMNT, in comparison, was not even qualifying. Even Caitlin Clark, the basketball player who made headlines in the NCAA and who was the leagues #1 draft earnings, will make $78,066 this year. Fortunately for her. Sportico reports that her WNBA salary will represent only 1% of her total earnings from sponsorships and other contracts.
Turning to sports betting, if there’s one refrain I continually hear as it relates to offering betting on women’s sports, it’s the lack of data. Some of the larger data companies are offering stats on WNBA and NWSL now, for example. How long will it take for them to begin to cover some of these newer leagues or less mainstream sports? Smaller, more nimble companies that offer data feeds are beginning to branch into more women’s sports as a differentiator, so that should help in the development of more offerings both in betting and in fantasy sports.
As a customer base, are women growing as a percentage of bettors? Anecdotally, it appears that way. Statistics say that 50% of sports fans are women but they only represent only 10% of bettors. Some of the major operators are seeing an increase and offering more content to appeal to women. Val Martinez, founder of Betting Ladies, said that academia is also beginning to study this more. For example, the University of New Haven is exploring the differences between male and female bettors.
To aid in that growth, we’re seeing more female-focused approaches in both operators and affiliates. Ontario-based operator Betty focuses on attracting female players and has announced that they’re now looking to franchise their brand. Content sites like Betting Ladies or The Gist focus on content of interest to women. Others like Drafted appeal to a specific demographic, Latina sports fans, and there’s room for more that target other subgroups like that. Many of these are not straight sports betting information sites but more “lifestyle” media looking at the athletes, fashion, culture and other fun aspects of sports. They may offer more focus on chat, games and other engaging features.
The bottom line is that this is a phenomenon that will do nothing but grow. That’s why some of the startups that we’ve found, targeting women’s sports, are so attractive. It would be good to take a look at your business to see how you can adapt and become a part of the growth of this sector.
