Building Future Fans: What Girls Say They Need from the Industry
The last few years have been extraordinary for women's sport. From record‑breaking attendances to soaring broadcast numbers, we've seen proof that when visibility and investment align, audiences respond. Yet when we look beyond headline figures and into the lived experiences of young people - the fans of tomorrow - the picture becomes more complex.
At Hark, we recently published The Fan Gap, a UK‑wide insight study capturing the voices of 1,504 young people aged 11–17, along with feedback from teachers across the country. Our aim was simple: to understand how girls become fans, why so many disconnect during adolescence, and what the industry must do to keep them engaged. The findings reveal both a challenge and an enormous opportunity for sport, its sponsors and rights‑holders.
The Challenge: Girls Aren't Short on Passion - They're Short on Pathways
Despite the rapid growth of women's sport, 40% of young people cannot name a single sportswoman - a striking visibility gap that directly undermines efforts to grow fandom. Many of the girls we heard from spoke passionately about sport, yet struggled to find players to relate to, stories to follow or accessible ways to deepen their interest.
The drop‑off in fandom is significant. While 62% of girls aged 11–13 identify as sports fans, this falls to 50% by ages 16–17, compared with boys whose fandom remains steady at around 75%. Adolescence is a pivotal moment for identity formation; losing girls during this window means losing future athletes, ticket‑buyers, coaches and consumers.
And critically, this isn't about lack of interest. 80% of girl sport fans say they want to know more about sportswomen, while 76% want stories of athletes who "look and sound like me." Girls aren't disengaging because they don't care – one of the reasons they disengage is because the system doesn't make it easy for them to see themselves in sport.
The Opportunity: Give Young People What They're Asking For
The good news? When visibility is there, girls respond with enthusiasm. Across the 700 favourite sportswomen mentioned by young people in our study, we saw 177 different athletes across 34 sports and 33 nationalities - a remarkable breadth of inspiration, from football and athletics to skateboarding, weightlifting and para‑sport.
Girls want to feel connected. They want stories, role models and access points that reflect their world. And importantly, boys want this too: 1 in 3 boy sport fans say they want more women's sport on TV and social media, and many express frustrations at the lack of visibility.
This presents a powerful opportunity for brands and rights‑holders to lead.
What Sport Must Do Next
Based on what we heard, here are five actions the sector can take now:
Listen to young people - really listen. Co‑create campaigns with girls and boys. Understand where their fan journey slips and what would keep them engaged.
Act early. Fandom begins in primary school, and the biggest drop‑off happens at 11–14. If we wait until 16, we're too late.
Tell richer stories. Girls want athlete journeys, not match reports. They want stories that show resilience, identity, ambition and real life beyond the pitch.
Bring boys with you. Boys can be powerful allies - and they're asking for more exposure to women's sport too.
Use schools as the route to scale. Schools are the most credible, efficient and equitable way to reach young people with stories of sportswomen and to spark early fandom.
The Bottom Line
The future of sport will be shaped by the stories we tell today. If we want the next decade of women's sport to surpass the last, we must start where fandom truly begins: in classrooms, living rooms and online spaces where young people form their identity.
Girls are not missing from sport fandom - they are missing the opportunities, visibility and representation that help them feel they belong.
If the industry acts now, we can help bridge the Fan Gap and build a generation of fans for life.