When it comes to sports entertainment, the most popular are the usual suspects: all-male teams from big leagues in disciplines like soccer, basketball, or football. There is plenty of controversy surrounding their female counterparts, whether it is because they don’t get paid the same as their male peers or because –as broadcasters and sponsors argue– women’s sports just don’t draw the same amount of interest as men’s.

But this is just a theory. Even though mainstream sports still don’t have a big focus on women’s
sports, their fanbase is real and thriving –but it’s not being properly monetized. According to a
report called The Fan Project, fans of women’s sports have been forced to watch their favorite
teams and athletes online. This has left as much as 5 years’ worth of revenue away from this
potential moneymaker.

However, women sports fans may not need to go mainstream to become a booming industry.
Because they have been forced to resort to their own phones, social media accounts, and other
alternatives to the big sports night sponsored by broadcasters and brands, these fans are now
already engaged with the next big trend in entertainment: OTT.

The same Fan Project report shows that 24% of women sports fans want to be able to control
the stats and graphics that pop up on their screens while watching sports. Many of them, who
also happen to be part of Gen Z, are also eager to bet. There is also a two-way opportunity
since athletes from women’s sports also want to grow their communities and reach out to their
fans in a more engaging way. OTT allows this and other forms of digital engagement, as it
allows for ultra-fast streaming for a fully real-time experience for fans.

This way, OTT can represent an interesting and potentially profitable alternative not just for
womens’ sports, but for all other categories that steer away from mainstream sports.