With a better understanding of female sport fans today we can realise the real value of sponsorship in this arena. Traditionally fandom is measured by scale and the numbers associated with men’s sports. However, if it’s looked at from a depth perspective, we realise the true Intellectual Property value.

Fan sentiment towards women’s sports properties is much stronger than it is given credit for according to The Fan Project, Sports Innovation Lab. This sentiment is undervalued, with research now clearly showing deep fan commitment to the female sport – and a valued audience is far more likely to buy products from the brand invested in the sponsorship.

So rather than ‘how many people can we reach?’ through sponsorship – as used in men’s mega sports events – the future of sponsorship should be created by brands defining a clear role and idea for themselves, and then sourcing the right property to deliver that role. We have been thinking women’s sports need to play catch up to men’s but this isn’t necessarily true when we look at the research. In fact, women’s sports are showing their male counterparts a better, somewhat more progressive, approach to sponsorship altogether.

In crowded markets, brands are constantly searching to achieve deep connections with their customers and potential customers, when women's sport could hold the answer.

Women’s sport delivers a very powerful storytelling platform for brands, due to the fan engagement and expectations. TSB Women’s Sport Research highlights female sports fans tend to be community builders, quicker adopters of tech and more appreciative of brand involvement.

I write this as a lover of sport, a rusty female competitor and a creative with a pent-up desire to help work with more female sports to release their commercial potential.

To date, sponsoring women’s sports has given brands a platform to demonstrate their stance on gender parity and equity. But now brands have the chance to really understand the fan, give generously to the game and receive powerful backing from a welcoming audience. Brands – if they believe in the sport and are authentic in their support – will gain a loyal fanbase who will vote with their wallets and willingly recommend these brands.

Research revealed that brands in women's sport are twice as likely to be recalled than those in men’s sport and female sports fans are 25% more likely to purchase the brand sponsor of their favourite sport than men’s sports fans.

The fans of women's sport are connected to their sport in ways that matter to their lives. They see the sport, and their fandom of it, as a reflection of who they are and what they represent. This connection extends to fellow fans, the players, the competition, and the champions within it.

For example, 53% of women’s sport fans strongly agree that we should strive for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly world, vs. 37% of men’s sport fans. Half (50%) of women’s sport fans strongly agree that brands should act with purpose and try to make the world a better place, compared with just 20% of men’s sport fans.

Female sports fans are significantly more tech savvy – if that surprises you, that’s your bias playing out. Almost three quarters, 74%, like to keep up to date with the latest tech (compared with 44% of men’s sport fans). Tik Tok is ahead of this trend, with its four year partnership with Six Nations which includes Women's Six Nations, Guinness Six Nations and Autumn Nations series.

And fans of women's sports are almost three times more likely to value innovation when choosing a brand, compared with men's sports fans and 70% of women's sports fans believe technology is a driver of positive change (compared with 46% of men's sports fans).

This openness and progressive attitude to technology extends to brands more broadly. Female sports fans are ready for brands to exhibit purposeful and progressive values and behaviour in sport. They aren’t afraid of sport being a platform to share powerful messaging supporting societal issues, sustainability, diversity, community and tackling poverty for example. They are twice as likely to be values driven but with that comes higher expectations of brand sponsors.

This is multi-faceted. Great responsibility comes with sponsorship power – women's sports audiences are more receptive to messaging and are more likely to reward brands that are purposeful and socially progressive.

Brands that step into women’s sport sponsorships should do it with great intention; and with a deft ambition for the sport and the community that surrounds it. This awareness of the fan and the field will build a committed and avidly loyal following – how can you not consider what role you play?

So be generously ambitious for women’s sport and be well rewarded. What are you waiting for?