--- title: Why brands are flocking to women’s sports - The Hustle description: Female athletes are driving more engagement than their male counterparts. image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1709526573-final_size-female20athlete20brand20deals_20221017005052.webp --- # Why brands are flocking to women’s sports ![Rob Litterst](https://thehustle.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Rob-Litterst-pic.png?width=48&height=48&name=Rob-Litterst-pic.png) [Rob Litterst](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/rob-litterst) [Rob Litterst Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/robbylit) Published: October 17, 2022 Updated: October 11, 2023 While wage gaps between male and female athletes generally persist, brand deals are leveling the playing field. ![Why brands are flocking to women’s sports](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1709526573-final_size-female20athlete20brand20deals_20221017005052.webp?width=595&height=400&name=1709526573-final_size-female20athlete20brand20deals_20221017005052.webp) This year, deals for female leagues and teams were up 21%, while deals with athletes [were up](https://sponsorunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Women-In-Sports-2022.pdf) 18%, per *SponsorUnited*. #### **One reason?** Female athletes are proving they can engage an audience better than their male counterparts. - **In professional tennis,** women players engaged 53m followers with branded posts, compared to 38.5m for men. - **In college sports,** women athletes generated 4x the engagement of men with less than half as many brand partnerships. Financial, apparel, and non-alcoholic beverage companies signed the most deals, and it’s likely only a matter of time before other sectors get in on the action. 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