Basketball to Generate 44% of Women’s Elite Sports Revenue in 2025, Surpassing Football for the First Time
For years, men’s elite sports have been dominated by American football and football, with the NFL and Premier League raking in billions. But in women’s sports, a major shift is taking place, with basketball taking over.
According to data presented by Betideas.com, women`s elite sports are expected to hit over $2.3 billion in revenue this year, and 44% of that value will come from basketball.
Women`s Basketball to Bring 10% More Revenue and Grow 4x Faster than Football
The gap between men`s and women`s elite sports remains vast, with considerable differences in revenue, salaries, and sports that bring the most money. While American football (NFL) and football (Premier League, La Liga, Champions League) have long dominated viewership, sponsorship, and media coverage in men`s elite sports, bringing eye-popping prize money and endorsement deals, in women`s elite sports that power comes mainly from football. However, 2025 brings a new interesting trend, with basketball dethroning football for the first time and becoming the top-grossing women`s sport.
According to Deloitte’s survey, the global revenues in women’s elite sports will hit $2.35 billion in 2025, 25% more than the year before and a massive 240% increase in four years. Nearly 45% of that value will come from women`s basketball leagues.
With matchday attendance soaring, big brands investing in sponsorships, and new star athletes driving commercial success, women’s basketball has become stronger than ever. Statistics show women`s basketball leagues will generate $1.03 billion in revenue in 2025, marking a massive 45% increase in a single year. This tremendous double-digit growth places basketball 10% ahead of football in revenue share.
Moreover, the 45% revenue increase in 2025 shows that women`s basketball is growing four times faster than football. Top-tier women’s football clubs are expected to gross $820 million this year, or only 10% more than in 2024.
Basketball Leads in Revenue, Yet No Players Rank Among the Top 10 Highest-Paid Female Athletes
The rise of women`s basketball is even more interesting considering not a single basketball player ranked among the top ten highest-paid athletes last year. In 2024, the ten highest-paid female athletes earned $181.1 million, according to Forbes. Tennis players made up seven of the ten names on this list, collectively earning $135.3 million.
The young US tennis star Coco Gauff was the top earner, with $34.4 million in prize money and endorsements. Polish tennis player Iga ?wi?tek ranked second with $23.8 million in total earnings. The top five was rounded out by freestyle skier Eileen Gu and tennis players Qinwen Zheng and Aryna Sabalenka, who earned $22.1 million, $20.6 million, and $18.7 million, respectively.
The rest of the list was filled with three other tennis players, Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu, and Venus Williams, golf player Nelly Korda, and Olympic winner Simone Biles. With basketball now leading women’s elite sports in revenue, it will be interesting to see if this financial power will translate to individual player earnings.
The full story and statistics can be found here: https://betideas.com/blog/2025/04/06/basketball-to-generate-44-of-womens-elite-sports-revenue-in-2025-surpassing-football-for-the-first-time/
from jastra@clickoutmedia.com