India’s Women’s Cricket World Cup victory has triggered a sharp commercial shift in women’s sports, with the sector on track to touch $2.35 billion in global revenue by 2025, according to a report released by LS Digital. Titled ‘The Rise of Women’s Sports Marketing in India’, it notes that the victory has reset how brands invest, fans engage, and how business around women’s sports is evolving.
The report also points out that leading players such as Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana have seen endorsement values rise by 25-100%. It also highlights Mandhana’s reported Rs. 2 crore per brand endorsement fee, and notes that the portfolio size for top athletes can extend to as many as 16 brand partnerships.
Sponsorships in woman’s sports overtake men’s sports
Moreover, sponsorships in women’s sports are now expanding at a pace 50% faster than men’s leagues, supported by a five times surge in digital viewership during major tournaments and a 200% jump in social media engagement over the past three years, the report states. One of the standout findings is the rise of “patriotic marketing.”
About 50% of labelled conversations now position women athletes as national symbols, highlighting their cultural influence. Within that space, 78% of patriotic content focuses on narratives of national achievement, while consumer engagement and the “local hero” effect account for 11% each, giving brands a strong emotional layer to build more resonant storytelling.
Brand confidence is rising too, with 86% of sponsors saying their campaigns have met or surpassed ROI expectations.
Viewer breakdown and digital trends
Digital behaviour is driving much of this momentum. Streaming now accounts for over 40% of total viewership, and social engagement around women’s sports has climbed nearly 200% in the past three years.
Audience patterns are shifting. Social data shows that 57-58% of viewership during recent women’s cricket tournaments came from men, challenging assumptions about who the category speaks to. Another 6% of conversations centre on youth inspiration.
The growth trajectory is not limited to cricket, with 22% of conversations spotlighting sports like chess, squash, combat sports, ice hockey and winter sports.
