2025, in a nutshell, has seen the Women’s Super League (WSL) gain more attraction from investors, brands and sponsorships than ever before, driven by its rapid growth in popularity after England winning their second successive European championship.
Between the new Barclays sponsorship deal with the WSL, the £30 million government and FA fund aimed at improving grassroots facilities and growing sponsorships normalising menstruation while playing, it is evident that women’s sport has shifted from an overlooked market to one that now attracts serious attention from investors and fans.
This influx of funding is not only professionalising the game but also helping build visibility and participation across the sport, reflecting a wider move towards greater equality and diversity.
On a more club level, Chelsea sold 10% of their shares to Alexis Ohanian for £20 million in May, Aston Villa was rumoured to be in talks with US investors, and more recently, West Ham were being linked with Monarch Collective after failing to close a deal with Chelsea.
It is very clear that US private equity firms are increasingly asserting their presence in the women’s game, and ongoing speculation suggests that further investment discussions are likely to continue.
So why should we be excited over these rumours? What is private equity? What does it mean for women’s sport? And why is it so significant?
Private equity involves a firm investing in a company, or in this case, a club, to improve performance and profitability, usually by securing a stake that provides some degree of control over strategic direction and operations, which varies depending on the ownership structure.
This form of investment has been described as ‘fuelling a sports industry revolution’, as the game is entering a new era shaped by shifting social values and evolving media consumption habits.
This matters for women’s sport, where many clubs have relied on a one-size-fits-all model borrowed from the men’s game. This approach often ignores the fact that women’s sport fans engage and consume the game differently, which limits how effectively clubs connect with their audience.
New investment focused on the women’s team puts women’s sports fans at the centre of all decisions, creating the opportunity to build structures tailored to those realities, and finally giving the women’s game the platform it has long needed. Adding the fact that these will be US investors provides clubs with the opportunity to increase the league’s global profile and media coverage.
With prominent firms such as Monarch Collective, which invest exclusively in women’s sport, claiming to have their eye on European football teams, the WSL could be on the verge of something transformative. We only have to look at Angel City’s $30 million turnover and more than 16,000 season ticket holders to see a glimpse of what is possible.
If these rumours turn into real, meaningful partnerships, the women’s game will truly have stepped into a new era of global opportunities.
