We are about to experience a turning point in the football and sports industry. A few days ago, a video went viral on Mexico where a standard salary of 50 thousand pesos was requested for the players of the Women’s LigaMX, a situation that reopened the debate on whether the salaries and conditions of soccer players should be dictated by the free market or by a regulatory mechanism. The voices were not few in all senses and in my point of view, I believe that the subject cannot be taken lightly and that it is very good that it is put on the table; it is very necessary that it be debated. And more recently, the president of the FIFA, Gianni Infantino, has threatened not to broadcast the Women’s World Cup in five European countries unless broadcasters improve their offers for broadcast rights. According to Infantino, the offers coming from Europe are disappointing and constitute a slap in the face for the players and all the women in the world”. In addition, she affirmed that it is a moral and legal obligation of FIFA not to underestimate; the event. It is something that cannot be overlooked. Once again, she highlights the disparity in the value placed on women’s sports compared to men’s. FIFA is clearly trying to address this by separating the bidding process for the rights to the Women’s World Cup, and by pushing broadcasters to improve their bids, it could help raise the profile of the women’s game and attract more investment and with it, greater sponsorships. Infantino also points out on this occasion (as on previous ones) that all television revenue from the tournament will be invested in women’s soccer, which could help improve infrastructure, player salaries and fan interest. This, in turn, could make women’s football a more attractive proposition for rights holders and sponsors. We cannot forget and put aside the growing interest in women’s football, with record global audiences in recent tournaments and an increase in audiences, for example, in the United Kingdom. This suggests that there is a significant potential audience and that you might be missing out on a lucrative market. Especially if we think that the essence of sport and the emotions it generates have universal components that arouse the interest of the human being, regardless of gender or level. Seeing the confrontation of two opposing forces is attractive for the human being, and from my perspective, soccer is soccer and you can get excited in the same way if you really start to follow a team, women’s, men’s, children’s. Sport itself is an emotion machine. To provide more context, in the past the rights to broadcast the Women’s World Cup were offered in conjunction with other events, including the Men’s World Cup. But now FIFA has separated the bidding process and asks for better offers for the transmission of the women’s cup. European broadcasters are currently offering FIFA between $1 million and $10 million for broadcast rights to the final, while they are offering $100 million to $200 million for the men’s match. Situation that can be justified and understood from the perspective of the current market. If we understand “market” as people who WANT and people who CAN consume a product or service, the gap makes sense. However, if we go back to the basics of sports marketing, market generation is also part of the process. And as for women there is still a lot of room to grow in every way. In such a way, that beyond profitability, one would have to think in terms of long-term investment, rather than the result of what the market can offer today. It is the midpoint between offering regulated/mandatory salaries and offering salaries according to the current market/profitability. You have to invest in women’s football, but you have to do it intelligently. Soccer (men’s and
female) has a great opportunity to grow if it appeals to the female market. He soccer As a sport, it has to find ways to increase female audiences and of course women’s soccer can be a vehicle for that. There is much mention of the number of attendees and audience records and rating of the competitions femininebut little is said about the composition of that audience, which in the
The case of women’s soccer is usually more mixed, however, globally, there are more men who watch women’s soccer. The business opportunity is to attract women to soccer, men’s and women’s. In Mexico and Latin America, it has been observed that in recent years there has been a change in the distribution of household spending decision-making, with an increase in the number of women making important financial decisions. This is due to several factors, such as the increase in women’s participation in the labor force and their higher level of education; therefore spending on leisure and entertainment is beginning to affect the purchase decision of women.
And this suggests that a good vision should be aimed at building accessible football for them from all points of view, and especially those who play and those who would be willing to pay to see them play. And that’s where the growth space is.
For the FIFAThis situation represents a great challenge and a great opportunity. The organization has a responsibility to promote women’s soccer and to ensure that players receive the recognition and compensation they deserve. At the same time, you have the opportunity to capitalize on the growing interest and attract new sponsors and broadcasters.
To achieve this, you must work closely with national and regional football governing bodies to develop effective promotional and marketing strategies. The narrative also has to address the emotions generated by the game and not just limit it to communication based solely on gender equality or women’s empowerment. An issue of awareness or elements more related to social responsibility campaigns is no longer enough. It’s about going as far as possible, having the greatest possible reach, positioning a new emotional product.
True, in this search for the middle ground, fair and equitable compensation standards must be generated for the players, in order to perform professionally they need to have certain needs covered beyond the basics so that it is considered a professional job. It is very complex to propose a universal solution, but I consider that it is time to “bet” on the women’s game, but really bet. With a view to great business, not just to meet a quota of corporate social responsibility.
With this situation, the FIFA has the opportunity to lead the transformation of women’s football and drive change across the world of sport. This turning point can create a more equitable and fair future for women’s football and for women in the game. sport. With the World Cup just around the corner, it is clear that the time has come to act and demonstrate a real commitment to equity, but also to act thinking of a future business that is clearly brilliant.
