Have we convinced you yet? We win. Whether you want us to or not.
Women in sport aren’t going anywhere. So why are we still fighting to be taken seriously?
By now, most of us have seen Nike’s viral Super Bowl ad. And if you haven’t - where have you been? Their first Super Bowl ad in over 27 years, and while it wasn’t particularly new or groundbreaking, it did something important - it sent a message that resonated. We can’t win, so win. Every woman - whether an athlete, a sports fan, or someone who’s never kicked a ball in her life - felt that. Deep in our bones, we felt that.
Coming off the back of my article on imposter syndrome, this particular ad stirs up a lot of conflicting emotions. I am not an athlete. Anyone who knows me knows I can barely run after the ice cream truck, let alone around a track. The only goals I’m kicking are metaphorical. But what I took from that ad is this: as women, we literally can’t win. I can hear America Ferrara’s monologue from Barbie ringing in my ears - the impossible double standards, the relentless battle just to exist in spaces we’ve already earned. It feels like we can’t win. And yet… we are. The real question is whether people are smart enough to recognise it and get on board.
So why is it still so hard to convince people to invest in women in sport? The potential is right in front of us - growing fan bases, commercially viable athletes, a market hungry for representation.
Women in sport is a powerful investment—the numbers don’t lie.
The data is crystal clear, yet somehow, we’re still stuck having the same conversations, still hearing the same excuses, still being met with hesitation. The AFLW began as a passion project, a bold experiment in a male-dominated industry, and now it stands as a thriving, commercially viable league with surging sponsorship deals and increasing TV rights. Companies like NAB and BHP didn’t invest in it as a favour or a goodwill gesture; they saw the untapped potential, the growing audience, the undeniable financial upside, and they made a smart business decision - one that paid off.
Nike has long understood the value of women’s sport, and the numbers back them up. In terms of financial impact, Nike's women's business was valued at approximately $9 billion as of late 2023. That’s not a coincidence; that’s consumer behaviour proving, once again, that representation and investment yield real returns.
Since 2019, sponsorship of women’s sports has skyrocketed by an astonishing 146%, obliterating the outdated narrative that there isn’t an audience for it. The demand is there. The money is there. The only thing missing is the willingness of decision-makers to catch up.
The NBA and WNBA have doubled down on diversity, equity, and inclusion - and their investment is paying off in record-breaking viewership and sponsorship deals. The push for women’s and international players hasn’t diluted the product; it’s expanded it, creating new revenue streams, broader audience engagement, and a richer, more global fan base. And yet, even with all this proof, we still hear the same tired arguments, the same dismissals, the same reluctance to bet on women.
Here’s the truth: Women’s sport is not a risk. It is not an experiment. It is an undeniable success story.
The numbers don’t lie, and neither does the emotional response that Nike’s ad campaign ignited. Millions of women watched that ad and felt something shift - something deep, something powerful. But what it also revealed is that we’re still exhausting ourselves trying to convince people that we are worth it. This fight isn’t about proving that women are capable, because for us that has never been in question. It’s about breaking through the constant resistance, the stubborn refusal to accept what is already right in front of you.
Because that’s what’s impossible to measure but impossible to ignore - the emotional impact. That moment when you realise the struggle isn’t just yours, that it’s woven into the experience of women everywhere. That realisation that, despite the barriers, despite the skepticism, we are winning. And we always have been.
Nike’s intention with this ad was clear - they wanted to make an impact, to shine a light on the ongoing challenges women face in sport. But the problem with continuously framing women as undervalued is that it keeps reinforcing the idea that we need to keep proving ourselves. The reality is, we’ve already proven we’re worth it. What we need now is for more people to step up - not just to invest, but to take meaningful action. To drive systemic change, to push for policies that create lasting opportunities, to dismantle the barriers that hold women back, not just in sport but in every arena. Representation is powerful, but impact is what truly changes the game.
Women’s sport isn’t waiting for permission. It isn’t asking for validation. It is here, it is thriving, and it is unstoppable. The only question left is: who’s smart enough to stop ignoring it?