Paris 2024 has proved the potential of female athletes in the business of sports sponsorship.

The gender-pay gap is something that haunts almost every industry. A daunting figure that shies women away from success in boardrooms, office blocks and classrooms across the world.

Sportswomen don’t only see the pay gap in their unequal salaries, but also in sponsorship. The Collective found that in 2023 90% of all sponsorship dollars went to male athletes. With so many Olympians relying on product endorsement for income, women have often been left empty handed.

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This year, Paris 2024 begun to change this tradition; by announcing themselves as the first games to reach gender parity. However, this year’s Olympics have achieved more than just equity in athlete numbers.

The 50/50 split of male and female participants has created what we hope will be a lasting change to sports sponsorship. The draw of being involved in the first games triumphing gender parity is an offer too tempting for brands to miss.

Angela Ruggario, a four-time Olympic champion and pioneer in sports gender equality, credits the improvement to parity as the reason so many major brands want to sponsor this year’s games.

Speaking to SportsPro, Angela said,

“Part of the value of the Olympic movement and what these brands are paying so much for is the values attached to it, and one of those values is gender emphasis.”

Sponsorship of individual female athletes has also seen a major influx. Influential brands including Visa have sponsored 147 athletes, the majority of which being women. Companies have followed the lead of the Olympics to prioritise inclusivity, making a major statement in the realm of equality.  

The endorsement of female athletes is proving to not only be financially beneficial to competitors, but also the brands sponsoring them.

Women did not even make up a quarter of Olympic athletes until Seoul 1988 – that is only nine games before Paris 2024. This dedication to feature female Olympians is something still so recent.  

With women only recently being given the opportunity for the first time, it makes each athletic feat by them insanely spotlighted. And what do these clipped moments of insane female athleticism make? Viral sensations.

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One of the most recognisable examples is Simone Biles. These games have seen her become the most decorated Olympic Gymnast ever, male or female. Her unparalleled success has made her one of the most popular Olympians with an endless list of viral clips from Paris 2024 alone.

Estimated to have an Instagram follower growth of over 2 million in the last two weeks, her posts partnered with brands like Athleta, GK Elite and Nulo Pet Food have had more engagement than ever before.

In a study undertaken by The Collective, they found that the fan base for female athletes tend to be younger fans that have extremely high content engagement rates. This research reassures what we already know, promoting diversity and inclusivity will always prove successful.