I own a total of fourteen jerseys across my three favorite sports teams. As an avid sports fan since the age of six, I’ve gathered a range of team gear, from t-shirts to sweatshirts, with none fitting me correctly. Why? Because all of my fan gear is designed for men. Sadly, women’s sportswear is typically designed with a limited view that women only want clothing that is pink, sparkly, tight-fitting, and embellished with beautiful fonts.
However, female sports viewership and fan bases have grown significantly in the past decade. In turn, so has the dissatisfaction with the team gear available for purchase. There are several ways for merchandise teams to fix this, but they must first address the underlying issues.
Statistics Surrounding Female Sports Viewership and the Merchandise Market:
In an April 2023 survey conducted in the United States, approximately 75% of the women who participated reported being either casual or avid sports fans (Gough, 2023). The survey had more than 2,000 respondents and was taken by men and women nationwide.
According to the 2021 SSRS Sports Poll, women and girls (8+) make up 46% of all NFL fans, amounting to approximately 84 million female NFL fans (Associated Press, 2022).
Women and girls make up 45% of all NFL fans in the under-35 age segment, and 56% of all women and girls ages eight and up in the U.S. are at least fans of the NFL (Associated Press, 2022).
As of 2021, sports merchandise is a $135 billion market in North America and is forecasted to grow 24% over the next five years (Lebel, 2021).
Women make or influence 85% of the disposable-income purchasing decisions for the NFL, so as this market expands, keeping female consumers happy should be a priority; however, this is not the case.
Design and availability are the two factors at the forefront of the merchandise issue. One study at the University of Massachusetts conducted in-depth interviews with various avid female sports fans. A common complaint was dissatisfaction with the clothing being marketed to women. Many items they cited issues with fell into the category of bedazzled and sequined, tight-fitting, low-cut, or bright pink (as opposed to team colors). Items being made in “feminizing colors” were particularly spoken of, as the participants stated it made them feel disconnected and like ‘their gender identity is more important than their fan identity” (Williams, 2022).
Regarding availability, a quick search through the official NFL web store found that women’s merchandise paled in variety and stock across league-wide and team-specific options. League-wide, there are 4,411 jersey options to shop between for men but just 2,771 options for women, roughly 37% less than their male counterparts. One organization had 227 t-shirts for men to choose from for team-specific merchandise, while women had 149, which was 34% less. These clothing items have also fallen victim to the infamous “Pink Tax,” the extra amount women pay over men for similar health and beauty products. One study looked at the difference, and across three different merchandise outlets, women’s products were priced higher than the men’s equivalent (Brannigan, 2015).
How can merchandisers and professional league sports mitigate the problem?
Collaborate with female fashion designers and women-centered brands.
Kristin Juszczyk, the wife of 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, has garnered mass media attention over the last month for the custom designs she has created for Taylor Swift, currently dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. She has also done work for herself and other athlete’s significant others, including Simone Biles and Brittany Mahomes.
From thick winter jackets made of their partner’s jerseys to skirts and trench coats, the designs have sparked the conversation about the need for a change in women’s team merchandise.
Provide gender-neutral options for items adorned with the team’s logo and primary color.
Widen the variety of sizes and cuts of merchandise to appeal to a wide range of fans.
Ask fans what they want. By sending out surveys and participating in social listening online, merchandise teams can create appealing gear that helps make sure all fans feel proud sporting their team’s logo.
In the end, what fans of all identities want is “to feel and look good as fans by their own standards, not a limited, predefined appearance created by the organizations. They want to feel empowered as consumers to show their fandom without putting their gender first.” (Williams, 2022)
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References
Associated Press. (2022, November 18). Analysis: NFL’s appeal to women isn’t about pink jerseys. USA Today. Retrieved January 29, 2024, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2022/11/18/analysis-nfls-appeal-to-women-isnt-about-pink-jerseys/50949153/
Brannigan, M. (2015, July 22). Why Is It Still Hard to Find Attractive-Looking Sports Fan Apparel for Women? Fashionista. Retrieved January 29, 2024, from https://fashionista.com/2015/07/womens-sports-fan-apparel
Gentrup, A., Rumsey, D., McCarthy, M., Perez, A., Kaplan, D., & Fisher, E. (2022, August 8). Women’s Sports Merchandise Flying Off Shelves. Front Office Sports. Retrieved February 6, 2024, from https://frontofficesports.com/womens-sports-merchandise-flying-off-shelves/
Gough, C. (2023, May 4). Sports fans by gender US 2023. Statista. Retrieved January 29, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1018814/sports-fans-usa-gender/
Lebel, K. (2021, September 15). Cool women’s sports merch will secure future fans. Sports Business Journal. Retrieved January 29, 2024, from https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/SB-Blogs/COVID19-OpEds/2021/09/15-Lebel.aspx
Rees, M. (2023, February 11). Women have become pro football’s “LVII” most important fan base. Women’s Suite. Retrieved January 29, 2024, from https://magazine.womenssuite.com/women-have-become-pro-footballs-lvii-most-important-fan-base/
Sveinson, K., Clarkson, B., Parry, K., & Richards, J. (2023, August 21). If you build it, they will buy it: Women’s soccer fans desire more team apparel. Sports Business Journal. Retrieved February 6, 2024, from https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2023/08/21/oped-21-think-tank
Williams, M. (2022, September 26). Katie Sveinson, UMass | What do women (sport fans) want? Fan clothing that doesn’t suck. SportBusiness. Retrieved January 29, 2024, from https://www.sportbusiness.com/2022/09/katie-sveinson-umass-what-do-women-sport-fans-want-fan-clothing-that-doesnt-suck/
(Sveinson et al., 2023)
