Some numbers still ring true.

Ninety-four percent of women in C-suite positions played sports - 52% at the collegiate level.

Eighty-five percent of women who played sports in school say the skills they developed in athletics were important to their professional success, and 80% of Fortune 500 female execs say they played sports in their earlier years.

Eighty-five percent of girls say a sports mentor would give them more confidence about their future goals and 70% say they'd be less likely to quit their sports if they had a mentor.

And whether those sports stats are a decade old (94% from a 2015 EY / espnW survey), a few years old (85% and 80% from a 2023 Deloitte survey) or barely a year old (85% and 70% from a 2024 Être survey), these numbers echo in our heads.

Because as in all championship seasons...the numbers matter.

This summer, with viewership of women’s sports at an all-time high and new leagues forming and being funded at unprecedented rates (just look at this list of athletes investing back into women's sports), rising athletes at Être and everywhere are ready to shout it from the rooftops: numbers matter this summer more than ever.

So, let’s put our hands together and make some noise for:

Viewership:

the WCWS women’s softball finals just set brand new ESPN records with their non-final and championship games
the NCAA women's basketball championship game drew over 8 million viewers and peaked at 9.8 million according to ESPN
The 2025 WNBA Draft earned the second-highest viewership in ESPN history according to Just Women's Sports, and the Indiana Fever just launched their first direct-to-consumer streaming service
the number of U.S. sports bars devoted to showing women’s sports is, according to NBC, expected to quadruple this year

Revenue & Investment:

global revenue for women's sports is expected to reach $2.35 billion this year, marking a 25% increase over last year's record $1.88 billion, according to Deloitte
women's basketball is anticipated to generate $1.03 billion in 2025, notes Unbreakable Female Athlete, making it the highest-earning women's sport globally (soccer follows with $820 million)
sport sponsorship in women's leagues is growing 50% faster than men’s major leagues, and exceeding return on investment expectations, says Sponsor United
86% of sponsors surveyed, adds Forbes, said "their investment in women’s sports met or exceeded expectations, with one third reporting their activations delivered better than expected results"
the MLB announced their first-ever strategic investment in the American Unlimited Softball League in response to the rise of women's softball viewership
Nielsen's new multi-year deal with the WNBA represents, according to Axios, the "largest commercial measurement deal Nielsen has ever signed with a women’s sports league"

First Moments & Next Gen Athletes:

Mia Scott's recent grand slam on a torn ACL gave Texas their first program WCWS title
Coco Gauff's win at the French Open made her the first U.S. player to win since Serena Williams in 2015
the LGPA shared with us that girls now make up 38% of their junior ranks and that more than 140,000 girls between the ages of 6 and 17 are participating annually in LPGA-USGA golf
Texas Tech players taped photos of their younger selves to the dugout as extra inspo and motivation
this 6 year old softball fan pitches and swings an imaginary bat alongside the role model players on her screen

Numbers matter, and the number of next gen players being inspired by women in sports is stunning. It makes one wonder...

Who will be the next coaches, announcers, players and MVPs walking out as we rise to our feet to cheer?

Who will be the next set of athletes taping pictures of their younger selves to their dugouts or locker rooms?

Who will be the next grade school athlete waking up early on the weekend to manifest her role with role models?

It remains to be seen, and like any rapt fans we remain breathless to find out. But one thing is clear: new generations of athletes, fans and leagues are bursting on the summer scene together, united in their passion for sports and the conviction that girls can play.

The numbers don't lie.

Looking forward in full fan-gear,

Illana

ÊXTRAS: Three more women's sports summer announcements you won't want to miss: Candace Parker's new book THE CAN-DO MINDSET launched on June 3rd, Veronica Beard's new tennis line launched on June 2nd, and Indiana Fever's new streaming service Fever Direct launched last month.

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