New study suggests appetite for more women's sports in Canada
![PWHL Montreal and Ottawa 2024 Montreal forward Kristin O'Neill watches for the loose puck as goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens and defence Erin Ambrose tie up Ottawa forward Tereza Vanisova as she drive to the net during third period PWHL action on April 27, 2024 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/5/3/pwhl-montreal-and-ottawa-2024-1-6873194-1714777456720.jpg)
A new study suggests women's sports have a solid market in Canada.
The report from Canadian Women and Sport found two in three Canadians consider themselves fans of women's sports.
"A thing that would surprise a lot of people is the balance of men and women who consider them fans of women's sport – It's actually a little more men than women," said Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of Canadian Women and Sport.
Sandmeyer-Graves said women's sports are growing in popularity around the world in countries like the U.K., Australia and the U.S.
"I think it's a reflection of broader societal shifts," she said. "Also, it's happening because of investment.
"When media companies, when brands, even when governments see this as a real potential and they put their resources behind it, they're expanding opportunities."
The study of 2,000 Canadians suggests eight in 10 women's sport fans are eager to engage with more sports if given the opportunity.
Sandmeyer-Graves said this presents a "fantastic opportunity" for local investors.
"We have unbelievably talented athletes in this country, but we don't get to watch them play here," she said. "Having those opportunities right here in Canada is going to create more opportunities for fans to watch, to attend, to follow online, to buy the merchandise to really lean into that fandom."
The first Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) saw almost three million Canadians tune in for the first game.
In February, more than 19,000 fans watched Toronto and Montreal face off in Toronto. That's more than the average regular season attendance for the Edmonton Oilers, according to The Athletic.
"The launch of the PWHL and the success of their first season, I think, has just added more proof that this demand is there," Sandmeyer-Graves said. "The fans are there and that they're ready to show up and to do their part."
Having more homegrown teams and women's franchises would also benefit those showing up to watch.
"It could play a key role in helping to keep more girls in sport longer, which I think we can agree is a good thing in our communities," Sandmeyer-Graves said. "It can also produce broader social benefits … It really shifts people's perceptions about the respect and value for women competing in those spaces, and frankly, hopefully we'll break down barriers in our society as a whole for women."
According to the study, one in three girls in Canada drop out of sports in adolescence. That's compared to just one in 10 boys.
You can access the full study here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6928674.1718497400!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Shooting at Michigan splash pad leaves 'nine, maybe 10 victims': authorities
Gunfire erupted at a splash pad in the Detroit suburb of Rochester Hills, leaving as many as 10 people wounded, authorities said.
As it happened: How the Oilers crushed the Panthers to force Game 5
The Edmonton Oilers' offence exploded in Game 4 to beat the Florida Panthers 8-1.
A new tax filing system could give Canadians more than $1 billion in unclaimed benefits: PBO
Canadians would get more than $1 billion in unclaimed benefits each year through an automatic tax filing system, according to a report published by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO).
'They're not human beings, they're animals': Trump blasts immigrants for taking jobs
Donald Trump blamed immigrants for stealing jobs and government resources as he courted separate groups of Black voters and hardcore conservatives in battleground Michigan on Saturday.
Video shows northern Ont. storm hammer shoreline, breaking dock
The owner of a northern Ont. camp is continuing to clean up after an intense storm that prompted a tornado warning Thursday ripped through the area breaking his dock and downing trees.
'All hands on deck situation': City of Calgary declares state of local emergency over water main break
The City of Calgary declared a local state of emergency Saturday morning in response to the latest developments in a major water main break that is impacting the city.
BREAKING A 'brazen daylight shooting': 16-year-old boy was fatally shot in Scarborough during fight, say police
Toronto police are appealing for witnesses and information as they deploy a “significant amount of resources” into the investigation of the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy in Scarborough on Saturday afternoon.
Trudeau calls into question findings of stunning watchdog foreign interference report
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has concerns with how conclusions were gathered in a spy watchdog report.
U.K. royals unite on palace balcony as Princess of Wales returns to public view after cancer diagnosis
London put on a display of birthday pageantry Saturday for King Charles III, a military parade that marked the Princess of Wales ' first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis early this year.