The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, has left a lasting mark on the world of sports, breaking both spectator attendance and revenue records.
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, proudly announced that the Women's World Cup has "broken even" financially. With a staggering revenue of over $570 million USD (approximately $900 million AUD), this accomplishment holds tremendous significance, not just for the tournament, but for the broader movement advocating for gender equality in sports.
The 2023 #FIFAWWC generated $570 million in revenue making it the second-highest income for global sporting events behind the 2022 World Cup. #BeyondGreatness pic.twitter.com/5WEIpTUgfc
— ata football (@atafball) August 26, 2023
Infantino's revelation comes at a time when the calls for equal prize money and recognition in women's sports are growing louder and more urgent. The stark disparity in prize pools has long been a point of contention, with the Women's World Cup offering a substantially smaller pool compared to its male counterpart.
The current prize pools for the Women's and Men's World Cups stand at $US110 million and $US440 million respectively. Despite persistent calls for parity in prize money, Gianni Infantino has been vocal in dismissing these demands, deeming them slogans that do not address the core issue. The revenue generated by the 2023 Women's World Cup further intensifies the calls for equal recognition and compensation.
The numbers are a testament to the rise in popularity and viewership of women's football. The tournament attracted record-breaking crowds; the final match, which saw Spain triumph over England at Stadium Australia, drew a sell-out crowd of 75,784. The tournament attracted an average stadium occupancy of over 84% across Australia and New Zealand. The 35 matches held in Australia drew a cumulative attendance of 1,269,531 spectators, and New Zealand recorded 708,743 attendees across 29 matches, including a record-breaking attendance of 43,217, a historic milestone for the nation.
Almost TWO MILLION fans! 🤯🏟️
Thank you for being part of history. 👊#FIFAWWC | #BeyondGreatness pic.twitter.com/R8TaMAe5Di— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) August 23, 2023
The spotlight on the Matildas, Australia's national women's football team, further cemented the tournament's impact. Their journey captivated the nation, and the semi-final match against England drew an astonishing resulting in an average of 3.44 million viewers per match and a cumulative viewership of 24.08 million over their seven fixtures. The semi-final clash between Australia and England set new records, drawing a staggering 7.13 million viewers and marking the highest viewership since 2001.
The resounding success of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup propels the movement for equal pay and recognition in athletics forward. Women's football continues to assert its status as a premier global sporting event, shattering attendance records and rivaling even the men's World Cup in revenue generation.
