Deloitte said on Wednesday that global revenues for women's elite sports are on track to hit a minimum of $3 billion in 2026, representing a 25% increase from last year. The consulting firm's report highlighted that the sector generated $2.4 billion worldwide in the most recent 12-month period, with basketball and soccer (football) identified as the principal contributors to that sum.
The report notes a rapid rise in receipts over the past several years: revenues expanded 248% between 2022 and 2025. Deloitte added that, "Based on current projections, this is expected to rise to 340% between 2022 and 2026," in its statement accompanying the report.
Deloitte provided a breakdown of revenue sources, saying that broadcast deals will account for roughly a quarter of total income in 2026, while matchday receipts - ticketing and in-stadium spending - will make up about 30% of the total. The firm forecasts that football and basketball will continue to be the largest single-sport earners, each supplying around 35% of aggregate revenue in 2026.
Geographically, Deloitte expects the largest revenue pools to remain concentrated in North America and Europe. The firm projected North American revenues of $1.64 billion, equal to 54% of the global total, and European revenues of $434 million, or 14% of the total, in 2026.
Jennifer Haskel, knowledge and insights lead in the Deloitte Sports Business Group, commented on the milestone in the report's release: "Surpassing the three-billion-dollar mark in 2026 would be a phenomenal achievement and would cement women’s sport firmly in the spotlight," she said. Haskel also cautioned that the sector is still developing, adding, "However, it is important to recognise that it is still early days... the industry’s enduring success will be built on diligently collecting data, analysing its impact, and making corrections driven by these learnings."
The Deloitte projections underline accelerating commercialisation in women's elite sport, with sizable portions of future revenue expected to arise from media rights and in-person attendance. The concentration of revenue in a small number of sports and regions is clear in the firm's figures, and Deloitte's emphasis on data collection signals that the industry views measurement and analytics as central to sustaining momentum.