Three sport business trends to watch in 2025 as F1 dominance and women’s sport boom
Every other forecast you’ll come across, regardless of the industry, will attempt to elucidate the impact of AI on that sector in the forthcoming year. Most responses will echo Hemingway’s sentiment: AI will gradually and then suddenly take over.
So, to prevent AI like Chat GPT from gaining too much of an advantage in achieving global dominance, let’s disregard AI and approach this in a traditional manner, as reported by City AM.
A quick Google search for “biggest sporting events 2025” reveals that the main events for this year are the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England and the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup in India.
The rapid growth of women’s sports in recent years is evident when the first question that comes to mind is “what about the Women’s Euros? ” rather than “What about the Lions tour or the Ryder Cup? “. Therefore, this is an excellent starting point for the top three trends to watch out for in the sports industry in 2025.
1. Could 2025 be the biggest year yet for women’s sport?
Next year, England are favourites to win the home Rugby World Cup and should be able to advance deep into the cricket equivalent, as well as mount a strong defence of their European football title. Last week, the organisers of England 2025 announced that more than 220,000 tickets have already been sold for the tournament, which is 50 per cent more than the previous women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
This sets up an intriguing contrast between the traditions of rugby union and its potentially bright and diverse future.
The Red Roses, a team that has significantly contributed to attracting a younger audience to rugby, will commence their World Cup campaign against the United States. This comes just three weeks after the final test of the men’s British and Irish Lions tour, a significant event in the sport’s amateur age.
From a sponsorship standpoint, the women’s game is ripe for investment. No brand has yet managed to dominate women’s rugby as Barclays has done with women’s football through its naming rights deal with the WSL and its commitment to grassroots level women’s and girls’ football.
However, opportunity beckons. For the home nations, the World Cup could become a battleground between mobile phone brands, with Vodafone sponsoring Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, while England is backed by long-term partner O2.
Interestingly, from a Lions perspective, much of the sponsorship buzz is coming from Royal London insurance. Their support for a feasibility study into a potential women’s tour has proven fruitful, with a tour to New Zealand confirmed for 2027.
2. Can anyone overtake F1?
When Liberty Media purchased Formula 1 from CVC Capital Partners in 2017, there was a considerable task at hand to rejuvenate the sport’s popularity. Six seasons later, Netflix’s “helmets off” documentary series Drive to Survive has significantly increased the global audience.
While the commercial aspect of the sport could hardly be said to be in decline, a series of new, high-value partnerships with brands such as LVMH, HP and even KitKat, along with renewals with long-standing partners like Heineken, have contributed to the feeling that the sport is pulling ahead of the pack. However, this momentum isn’t solely due to Netflix.
Liberty recognises the significance of the US market to sponsors and broadcasters. A 24-race schedule includes no less than three Grands Prix in the US, with Miami and Las Vegas serving as models for F1’s ambition to be perceived as an entertainment brand both on and off the track.
F1 exemplifies what we call Fancom. It comprehends and capitalises on the overlapping audience passions and interests that can cultivate new fan communities around the sport.
By embracing fashion, music, celebrity and gaming in a way perhaps unparalleled by any other sport outside of the NFL, it is expanding its following far beyond just petrolheads. The upcoming year also sees Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari, a sold-out first ever all-team car launch at the O2 in London in February, and the possibility of a serious title challenge from McLaren, whether that comes from Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri.
If that’s not enough, this time next year, we’ll be discussing a Cadillac joining the grid powered by a Ferrari engine. 3.
3. Disruption, disruption, disruption
Disruption within sports has evolved from referring to crowd disturbances or player strikes to strategically targeting perceived weaknesses in order to innovate and enhance the game. Industries that have been grappling for attention, participation, or funds have faced this challenge for some time now.
Cricket experienced a shake-up dating back to the 1970s with World Series Cricket as the original disruptors, followed by the Indian Premier League which brought about new wealth for players beyond what Kerry Packer could ever imagine. Golf is currently navigating through its own period of disruption and slowly adapting as talks of a merger between LIV and the PGA Tour grow.
Rugby finds itself in a similar position with the emergence of an eight-team global franchise league backed by US and Middle Eastern investors threatening to attract major talents.
Football, often thought to be impervious to such shifts, has already contended with movements like the Super League and continues to face FIFA’s Club World Cup ambitions, though FIFA may not be characterised as a disruptive force to its own sport. However, football isn’t entirely immune; younger audiences’ preferences are shifting towards individual stars over teams and bite-sized content over full matches.
This is where the Baller League steps in – one of the most awaited sports introductions in recent times. It promises a mix of recognised football elites and top social media influencers, combined in an intriguing six-a-side context billed as “the new old football”.
YouTube ‘veterans’ Sidemen and other social media stars will be joining forces with football legends such as Gary Lineker, Luis Figo and John Terry in a new venture. This could potentially provide a glimpse into the future for sports that are constantly looking to emulate football’s success.
The disruptive nature of this project has attracted sponsors and investors who have recently backed Baller League with a $33m investment.
Neil Hopkins is the global head of strategy at M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment.