Female fanbase determination: the case of Euroleague

Abstract

Our study addresses the lack of extensive data on female sport fandom, focusing on Euroleague to determine their female fanbase and quantify their consumption behaviors. While focusing on Euroleague as our primary subject, we identify challenges in sport marketing like limited gender-specific data in the underexplored female demographic. Our research aim is to determine the Euroleague’s female fanbase size, analyze its characteristics and assess its sport consumption behavior to suggest new marketing strategies to increase revenue. A mixed-methods approach integrating quantitative data from surveys, secondary statistics and qualitative insights from fan interviews and industry experts was applied. We indicate that women comprise a significant yet untapped audience and revenue opportunity for Euroleague. Female fans demonstrate strong social-driven motivation for sport consumption, preferring live game attendance and team-related engagement. With 8 million potential female fans across Europe, Euroleague can greatly increase revenue by tackling barriers, targeting motivations and improving fan experience.