GroupM, the media buying arm of advertising giant WPP, is planning to double its annual investment in women’s sports and create a dedicated marketplace to facilitate deals.
The company said the initiative will begin in the 2024-25 upfront, with an initial roster of advertisers including Adidas, Google, Ally and Unilever to be supplemented with more brands coming in down the line.
Women’s sports are projected to generate more than $1 billion in revenue in 2024, according to an estimate from consulting firm Deloitte.
While growth has come in several sports, basketball has been particularly strong, with rising ratings for NCAA tournament games and the WNBA. “Our industry has seen the incredible impact of investing in women’s sports over the last several years, but even with continued momentum, women’s sports investments only comprise a mere fraction of total media spend in sports,” said Matt Sweeney, Chief Investment Officer, GroupM US. “Starting with this year’s upfront negotiations, our team will procure elevated opportunities that are a win-win for our advertisers.
Read more on deadline.com