Women's Football Enters a New Era of Sponsorship

How Brands and Marketing Are Shaping the Future of Women’s Football

The 2025/26 season is still young, but it already shows just how much women’s football has  evolved. With Google Pixel stepping in as the title sponsor of the Frauen-Bundesliga since the 2023/24 season, the sport has entered a new era, one defined by global brands, bigger  audiences, and growing cultural impact. 

📸via en.eintracht.de

In Germany, Google Pixel’s partnership marks a milestone like Barclays’ role in England,  where the country’s top division is officially known as the Barclays Women’s Super League.  Just like Barclays in the UK, Google Pixel has become more than a sponsor. It’s a signal of  recognition that women’s football is no longer a niche, but a powerful force in the global  sports economy. 

A Growing Market: Why Women’s Football Is the Next Big Investment Opportunity 

Football is a billion-dollar business, but women's football is still in its infancy in economic  terms. While the men's Bundesliga generates over €4.4 billion in revenue per season (DFL,  2023), the women's Bundesliga still operates in the double-digit million range. 

But the momentum is clear: according to a study by consulting firm Two Circles, the league  could reach around €130 million in revenue by 2031/32, more than ten times its current  value. The market is also expanding rapidly globally: McKinsey predicts that the market for  women's sports in the United States will grow by 250% by 2030. 

Sponsorships are a particularly strong indicator of this change. The global sports sponsorship  market had a volume of around 97.35 billion dollars in 2023, and women's football is growing  at around 12% per year, significantly faster than men's sports (around 8%). 

The Women’s Football ‘Value Gap’: High Visibility, Low Commercial Return 

Despite growing reach and sold-out stadiums, women's football remains economically undervalued. Experts refer to this as the ‘value gap’, the gap between actual popularity and  what sponsors are willing to pay. 

Only a fraction of the sponsorship money that men's clubs have long taken for granted flows  into women's football. 

In Germany, the comparison shows the scale of the gap: 

• Bayern Munich (men) receives around €65 million per year from Telekom. • Borussia Dortmund receives around €30 million from Vodafone. 

• In contrast, the clubs in the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga generated an average of just €2.65 million in total revenue per club in the 2023/24 season, according to the  DFB Season Report. 

These figures make it clear that the economic potential is enormous but has not yet been exploited.

Sponsorship as a message  

Sponsorship is more than just money, it’s a way to get a message across. One example that made headlines around the world came from France: in 2023, mobile phone brand Orange  released an advert that started with some awesome goals scored by men, only to reveal at  the end that all the scenes had been digitally edited to show female players. The message:  women's football is just as spectacular; it's just perceived differently. 

Visa, Barclays and Adidas are also increasingly focusing on values rather than just reach. They specifically promote equality and inclusion and use their sponsorship to support social  change. 

How Global Brands Are Driving Change and Equality in Women’s Football 

Companies that invest in women's football now reap double benefits: economic and cultural. On the one hand, they secure early market share in a rapidly growing segment. On the other  hand, they gain credibility, especially among young target groups who are increasingly  focused on sustainability, equality and diversity. 

An analysis by ReloMetrics (2023) shows that players and clubs see up to 300% more social media engagement after media exposure through film documentaries or major sponsorship  partnerships. This emotional connection strengthens brands among the fan base and makes  women's football a highly emotional advertising space. 

Sponsorship in women's football today is more than an investment, it is a statement. Google Pixel's entry into the Bundesliga was symbolic of this: a partnership that not only brings in  money, but also shows that equality, innovation and sport have long belonged together. 

Those who get involved now will actively shape the future, athletically, culturally and socially. Because women's football is not just a trend. It is the next growth story in global sport. 

Sources: 

- DFL (German Football League) Annual Report 2024 

- Barclays (n.d.) – FA Women’s Super League Title Sponsorship 

- Two Circles (2023) – Commercial Outlook for the Frauen-Bundesliga. 

- McKinsey & Company (2022) – Unlocking the Full Potential of Women’s Sports. 

- Statista (2024) – Global Sports Sponsorship Market  

- SponsorUnited (2025) Partnership Report 

- Sportcal (2025) Bayern Telekom Deal 

- Sportspro (2025) Borussia Dortmund Vodafone deal 

- DFB (2023/24) DFB Season Report 

- Orange France (2023) – “Les Bleues” Campaign (Ad spot). 

- Visa (n.d.) – UEFA Women’s Football Sponsorship. 

- Barclays (2023) – FA Women’s Super League Title Sponsorship. 

- adidas (2024) – Adidas celebrates women’s football 

- ReloMetrics (2023) The Impact of Women’s Sports Sponsorships on Social Media. 

- DFB (2024) – Google Pixel becomes title partner of the Frauen-Bundesliga.