It’s no secret that women’s athletics have historically been underrepresented in terms of media coverage and sponsorship dollars. But the tide has been turning: Businesses are finally understanding that sponsoring women’s sports is not just the right thing to do, but a lucrative business decision.

The Minnesota Aurora FC, the state’s pre-professional soccer team, is perhaps the clearest example of that shift. So much so that board chair and president Andrea Yoch has grown exhausted of the conversation. In her view, the story about disparities in sponsorship dollars has been “done to death.” She says she’s had no problem lining up willing sponsors for the team.

From the start, Aurora has been able to land all the sponsorship needed for operations. Now in its second year, the team is continuing to land sponsor deals.

“A number of our clients not only returned but returned with more money,” Yoch says. “We delivered everything we promised and more, and they really do see this as a good place to be for their brands.”

Statistics by SponsorUnited’s Women in Sports Report 2022 bear out Aurora’s experience. According to the report, partnership deals across women’s sports jumped 20% year-over year in 2022. Leading investors included companies working in finance, apparel and accessories, and media.

A perk that brands may anticipate when investing in women’s sports? An increase in their own products’ sales. A 2021 report by sports and entertainment company The Space Between noted that fans of women’s sports are 25% more likely than fans of men’s sports to buy products and services from sponsors of their favorite teams.

Yoch says that’s held true for her team, particularly with Aurora’s sponsor Volkswagen. “They are a wonderful sponsor of ours and told us they had people come in over the summer to buy cars because they supported the team,” she says.

She also says that renewing deals with brands is easier when fans are “directly rewarding the businesses that have stepped up to support” the soccer team.

With growing viewership and popularity, women’s sports teams can even be choosier about their sponsors. David King, VP of corporate partnerships for the Minnesota Lynx and Timberwolves teams, says he’s had no problem finding organizations willing to sponsor a jersey patch. The trick is finding the right partner, he says. “It’s a little bit of threading the needle of finding a partner that is aligned with the things that we value that wants this to be bigger than just a patch,” he says. “Any partner that’s going to be on a patch, it’s going to be a fully integrated partnership. That includes other high visible, high impact TV, visible signage, community programs, content, and hospitality experiences.”

According to the U of M’s Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport, just about 5% to 10% of current sports media coverage is devoted to women’s athletics. That, too, looks to be changing. “Right now we’re definitely in a moment where there is growth, both in media coverage and in sponsorships,” says Dunja Antunovic, professor of sport sociology at the center. The demand to watch women’s sports is evident in new ventures like the Women’s Sports Network, a new streaming service launched in late 2022.

“We’re definitely in a momentum of change,” Antunovic says.