Advertisers spending more on female athletes ahead of Paris Olympics

Global advertisers are hiring more female athletes to launch marketing campaigns ahead of the Paris Summer Olympics, a move aimed at capitalisng on recent record ratings for women's sports in the US and Europe to reach new audiences.

While the Olympics has long been considered the pinnacle of women’s sports, increased attention leading up to the Games has prompted more brands to feature female athletes in commercials, shape messaging toward women and increase ad spending on women’s sports, ad experts said.

“What we’re seeing of late is an incredible aggregate of women showcasing skills and breaking records in ways that are generating so much attention,” said Jenny Storms, chief marketing officer for entertainment and sports at NBCUniversal, which broadcasts the Olympics in the US.

Adam Schwartz, director of sports media at ad-buying firm Horizon Media, said he estimates there are now double the number of brand campaigns featuring female athletes compared to previous years. “Advertisers are actively asking ‘what can we do to include ourselves with women's events,’” he said.

Advertiser demand for women’s sports has grown to a point where GroupM, one of the world’s largest ad-buying agencies, is now working with NBCUniversal to create new advertising packages that will allow some of GroupM’s brand clients to specifically appear during women’s Paris Olympic events.

The fan frenzy for US basketball player Caitlin Clark, whose success was credited with driving higher ratings for the women's college basketball championship than the men's for the first time, is one reason for the increased attention on women’s sports, the ad experts said.

While Clark was not selected for the Olympic basketball team, she and other female athletes are dominating sports-related ads ahead of the Paris Games.

Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time, is currently starring in several brand campaigns including for diabetes drug Mounjaro and athletic clothing brand Athleta, according to data from TV ad measurement firm iSpot.

In the Athleta commercial with the tagline “The Power of She,” Biles trains alone in a gym, sticking a perfect landing after a flip as her voiceover says “we are here ... for hearing yourself over the crowd and landing in your power.”

Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, who has seven gold medals, also features in Athleta’s campaign on social media, as well as TV commercials for protein drink Core Power and sportswear brand TYR.

The Paris Olympics begin on July 26.

In March, GroupM said it pledged to double its annual ad spending on women’s sports, backed by some of its clients including Google, Mars and Unilever.

“I’ve had many conversations with clients who haven’t been involved with women’s sports in the past, who are now thinking and acting on it,” said Matt Sweeney, chief investment officer at GroupM US.

Beyond categories such as personal care items, advertisers in the travel, pharmaceutical and insurance industries are increasingly interested in women’s sports, said Mark Marshall, NBCUniversal’s head of global advertising and partnerships.

Despite the growth in attention for women’s sports, the size of sponsorship deals for female athletes are still far off from their male counterparts, said Robert Müller von Vultejus, chief growth officer at sports marketing agency Sportfive.

“The individual reach of an athlete like LeBron James is so outstanding, it’s not yet comparable on the women’s side,” he said. “But in a couple years time, it will get there.”

Continued viewership and support of women’s sports beyond the Olympics will be key to maintaining the momentum, said Kerri Walsh Jennings, a three-time Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball.

“If brands say they support female athletes, but don't put action behind it, it falls flat,” she said. “I hope brands continue showing up and giving us this platform.”

Jennings appears in a social media campaign beginning this week for Bingo Blitz, an online game from developer Playtika, alongside two-time Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman and American soccer player Alex Morgan. The three athletes each describe a consequential time in their career as their “bingo” moment.

“Years ago, people would say no one really watches women's sports. That’s not the case now,” said Nancy Atufunwa, senior vice-president at sports marketing agency Octagon, citing the popularity of college level sports and the WNBA. “It’s the perfect storm at this moment.”