For years, the idea of women’s sports has been a sector of the industry that’s overlooked as having potential to grow, or something that’s still waiting for its pivotal moment.
However, the industry's pivotal moment has arrived, and it has squashed this narrative in a big way, especially over the past two years.
The league's breakthrough was so powerful that the support for it spread rapidly worldwide, providing a clear message: women’s sports weren’t built just to be a moment in time. It’s here to stay, and there’s data to prove that.
The Northern Super League (NSL), for example, saw its biggest success in viewership, with the league’s first-ever NSL Final. The event saw more than 1.1 million Canadians tune in across numerous platforms and drew in tens of thousands from streaming platforms. This includes The Sports Network (TSN), the CBC and their French-language network Radio-Canada, in addition to CBC Gem, CBC Sports YouTube, and TSN+.
In the stands, it was the same story, with more than 275,000 people having purchased a ticket in its inaugural season, and its home openers in Toronto and Vancouver saw more than 14,000 fans in attendance.
Altogether, this not only helped bring the league to the forefront of communities across Canada, allowing support to grow quickly, but also helped the NSL reach the top five in average attendance in professional women’s soccer.
The same can be said on the ice, for the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), which saw immense growth economically.
When the league first came into fruition in 2023, it has now expanded from six to eight teams. The Toronto Sceptres, Montreal Victoire, Minnesota Frost, New York Sirens, Boston Fleet, Ottawa Charge, plus the Vancouver Goldeneyes and the Seattle Torrent, who joined in the 2025-26 season.
Since the 2025-26 season began, the Seattle Torrent fans showed up to Climate Pledge Arena in flocks for their inaugural home opener against the Minnesota Frost, setting an attendance record of 16,014 fans in a U.S. arena.
In addition, brands are not just calling themselves sponsors. Instead, they are putting in a true effort to fight for a better future for young girls. For instance, one of the most notable campaigns in recent months was the launch of new Barbie dolls in collaboration with Tim Hortons and the PWHL this past August.
For every doll sold in participating restaurants and TimShop.ca, Tim Hortons donated $5 to the Grindstone Award Foundation, for their commitment to improving access to hockey for girls. The PWHL also committed to matching its donation with a $5 donation for each doll bought through its online store.
Danielle Bell, the president of the Grindstone Award Foundation, said her foundation is extremely grateful to Tim Hortons and the PWHL for their support and for partnering with Mattel to continue to grow the game across Canada.
“As a national charity, we’re proud to partner with organizations that not only support gender equality in sport, but understand that when girls are given the chance to play hockey, they gain confidence, build resilience, and grow into future leaders,” Bell said.
The two dolls are inspired by the PWHL’s co-captain of the Vancouver Goldeneyes, Sarah Nurse, as well as the captain of the Montreal Victoire, Marie-Philip Poulin. Nurse and Poulin were recognized as Barbie role models in 2020 for their groundbreaking impact on the ice and their efforts toward a better future for women in hockey.
But the biggest sign that movement is happening in the industry is that little girls in this generation are experiencing opportunity. They’re watching players like Caitlin Clark soar in success, helping those girls cement the idea that their dreams are achievable, too.
Because in the end, with momentum like this building so early on, the rise in interest can only mean women’s sports is no longer a short-lived moment, but rather one that’s here to stay.
