By Nivedita Shankar, Client Executive, Sponsorship & Consultancy.

A Defining Decade Begins

Women’s cricket has arrived. The debate is no longer whether the sport is viable, but whether stakeholders will seize the opportunity to build on its momentum.

In July 2017, the Women’s World Cup final at Lord’s between England and India was a sell-out, broadcast globally and delivering visibility the women’s game had rarely enjoyed. England’s Anya Shrubsole became a household name, India’s Harmanpreet Kaur’s 171 is still legendary, and the $2 million prize money alongside new broadcast tech signalled a new era. It proved women’s cricket could fill stadiums, attract mainstream sponsors, and draw millions of viewers.

If 2017 was the proof, then the 2020 T20 World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was the validation. A record 86,174 fans attended, showing women’s cricket wasn’t just viable, but capable of delivering global-scale spectacles.

Now, with back-to-back World Cups in 2025 (India & Sri Lanka) and 2026 (England), the sport enters a make-or-break moment. For brands and rights holders, the time to build on this momentum is now.

(Captains at the ICC Women's World Cup 2025. Image Credit: ICC)

From Add-On to Asset

The most significant structural shift is the ICC’s decision to unbundle sponsorship rights, allowing brands to back women’s events independently of the men’s. The 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka will be the first to operate under this model.

Unilever became the ICC’s first women’s cricket-only sponsor through 2027. Google followed as the second, leveraging its tech capabilities to enhance fan engagement and accessibility. This signals a cultural and commercial shift for a sport long treated as secondary.

Unbundling matters because it acknowledges that women’s cricket is an asset in its own right, with a younger, more diverse, values-driven audience. For brands, investment isn’t just about visibility either, it aligns with inclusivity and cultural relevance.

Yet despite record-breaking World Cups and franchise leagues, the obvious question remains: why did it take so long?

Breaking Misconceptions About the Audience

In 2023, the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket reported that “women and women’s teams are frequently demeaned, stereotyped and treated as second-class, unwanted.” The same can be said of how their fans are viewed, yet their role in shaping the future of the sport is far greater than these old perceptions suggest.

And the examples prove otherwise.

Hilton’s No Boundaries campaign with Lancashire Cricket, Metro Bank’s consistent support of women’s and girls’ cricket in the UK, Kia’s Super League title sponsorship, and Qantas’ women’s shirt branding with Cricket Australia all demonstrate meaningful, long-term investment is possible.

(Image Credit: Metro Bank on X)

In the UK, women’s cricket enjoys a more gender-balanced audience which is 65% male / 35% female vs the men’s game which is 75% male / 25% female (Decoding 360, dentsu Sports Analytics). Treating women’s cricket as a standalone property with its own stories and fandom gives brands a first-mover advantage.

Overnight transformation isn’t realistic. But by committing to multi-year partnerships and authentic campaigns, brands have the opportunity to generate real loyalty while building credibility.

The ECB has leaned into this with its Catch the Spirit campaign, launched six months early to build momentum for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Featuring stars like Ellyse Perry, Hayley Matthews, Lauren Bell, Richa Ghosh, and even a crossover with Freddie Flintoff, it’s a strong signal of intent.

The Hundred: A Marketing Masterstroke

Since its 2021 launch, The Hundred has arguably been the most effective domestic showcase for women’s cricket. Pairing men’s and women’s fixtures, offering free-to-air visibility, and integrating entertainment has rapidly built momentum.

The attendance figures are compelling too, in 2025, 349,401 fans attended women’s games, with 1.5 million since launch and 203,000 first-time cricket attendees (The Hundred). Rising stars like Davina Perrin are creating defining moments that cut through culturally.

The Hundred was designed to target a new, younger and more diverse audience, the ECB says. Nearly 70% of female fans now say cricket feels more engaging to watch/follow because of The Hundred (FanSpeed 2024, dentsu Sports Analytics).

Media innovation has also played a key role. Sky Sports boosted average audiences by 38% in 2024-25, BBC Sport’s online streams climbed from 1.6m to 2.2m, and TikTok live streams tapped into new communities.

Despite all of this, challenges remain. New private investment introduces uncertainty, but the ECB’s confidence in a potential standalone women’s tournament in 2026 shows how far the game has come.

(Image Credit: The Hundred)

India: The Sleeping Giant

If England has provided the playbook, India represents the great what-if. The 2017 World Cup drew 80 million of India’s 156 million viewers from rural markets (ESPN Cric Info), exposing deep demand.

The Women’s Premier League (WPL), launched in 2023, has since become a breakthrough moment. Speaking with Exchange4Media, Namrata Soni, Director of Media Planning & Buying at Dentsu Creative Isobar states: “By 2025, team sponsorship revenue has risen by approximately 10%, reflecting growing confidence in the league’s commercial potential. This increase highlights WPL’s increasing value as a branding platform.”

For brands, India offers huge untapped potential, but following the men’s cricket blueprint won’t work. Instead, rights holders must explore independent media rights, innovative ticketing, and digital-first fan engagement. Alongside this, with grassroots investment and pathways for young players lagging, purpose-driven partnerships at grassroots level will build the foundations for long-term value.

The Defining Question

Eight years on from Lord’s, women’s cricket has proven its power: record crowds, record broadcast numbers, landmark sponsorships. But challenges remain. Just 2% of cricket fans feel sponsor investment is aimed purely at women’s cricket, while 58% believe it is still skewed towards men’s (Drivers of Fandom, dentsu Sports Analytics).

The evidence is overwhelming: the audience is there, the commercial case is there, and the cultural value is undeniable. The defining question is whether boards, brands and broadcasters will now embrace women’s cricket for the high-potential asset it is and unlock its full value.

With a landmark year on the horizon in the UK, the sport has a unique chance to draw even greater visibility and cement its place in the national conversation. What happens over the next 12 months can shape a legacy that lasts for decades, creating deeper pathways for players and richer experiences for fans.

For brands, the door is wide open, moving early offers the chance to be part of the story from the ground up, driving meaningful change while building powerful connections with audiences.

Women’s cricket has arrived, and the momentum now depends on sustained investment.