Women’s soccer continues to break records, with Women’s Super League attendance up 200% compared to last season, per the English Football Association.
A record-breaking total of 47,367 people turned out to watch Arsenal beat Tottenham Hotspur in September. That game was played at Emirates Stadium, building on an exciting summer for the women’s game in which England won its first Euros title.
The UEFA Women’s Euro tournament broke records as well, with 87,192 fans showing up to Wembley Stadium to watch the final.
On the heels of the tournament, the FA saw the opportunity to bring the WSL to new audiences, said Kelly Simmons, the FA director of the women’s professional game.
“The Lionesses’ victory propelled the women’s game in this country to new levels, and it was important for us to capture and capitalize on that momentum,” she said in a statement.
“It has often been said that a successful women’s England team will help generate interest in the domestic game,” she continued. “This is certainly true, and I have been really overwhelmed by the response we have seen from fans — new and old — in the first half of the season.”
Nearly 300,000 fans have showed up to games across the league, according to Simmons.
“This just highlights how much appetite there is for world-class women’s league football,” she said. “We are currently averaging almost 6,000 fans a week in the Barclays Women’s Super League as we go into the final league fixtures of 2022 — which is up over 200% on this time last year.”
Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea have all played in their men’s team stadiums this season to large crowds. But second-tier Women’s Championship has also seen increased attendance, up 85 percent over last year.
Chelsea leads the WSL with 24 points through nine matches.