Two-thirds of Canadians consider themselves fans of women’s sport

TORONTO (Agencies): Two thirds of Canadians consider themselves to be fans of women’s sport, according to a study released on Monday calling for greater investment in professional women’s sport in the country. Canadian Women & Sport, a national non-profit that launched in 1981, said a poll of Canadians aged 13-65 showed two in three people (67%) consider themselves to be fans of women’s sports, which is equivalent to over 17 million Canadians. According to the research, which was led by IMI Consulting and presented in Toronto on Monday, Canadian fans of women’s sport are more diverse, educated and affluent than the country’s general population. The study also showed that eight in 10 fans of professional women’s sport are excited about the future of women’s sport in Canada and are eager to engage further in various ways if given the opportunity. “We have seen trends and proof points over the past few years, but now we have credible ––– and uniquely Canadian ––– data demonstrating that fans of women’s sport are a large, attractive audience for brands and investors,” Canadian Women & Sport CEO Allison Sandmeyer-Graves said in a news release. “Women’s pro sport is no longer a hypothetical opportunity. Case studies have been written, potential has been realized, and records have been broken. It’s time for more bold investment in professional women’s sport in Canada.”

The study, conducted last October with a representative sample of over 2,000 Canadians aged 13–65, comes amid a women’s sports popularity boom with viewership on the rise. The Professional Women’s Hockey League, a six-team league split evenly between Canada and the United States, has enjoyed an encouraging launch this year as it continues breaking attendance records for women’s hockey games. Over the weekend world number one golfer Nelly Korda won her second major title to become only the third LPGA player to win five consecutive starts. That came less than a week after Caitlin Clark, the record-breaking women’s college basketball player, became the face of the Women’s National Basketball Association after the Indiana Fever took her with the first pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. The WNBA is scheduled to play a game in Canada for a second consecutive year in May while a Canadian professional women’s soccer league is set to launch in 2025.