Women’s sport, once sidelined from the mainstream, is now officially having its moment. You only have to look at the incredible viewing figures and packed pubs from the UEFA Women’s Final to see that something big is happening. Sponsorship of women’s football teams is up 50% in 2025 compared to men’s major leagues (according to S&P Global) and this investment is having exponential results - for the quality of the sport, for brands and for fans.
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Persil
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Over the past couple of years at Global Street Art, we’ve seen a massive rise in bookings for brand campaigns honouring female sports players and athletes, with household names like Adidas, Nike, Pepsi, Persil and Skoda all creating standout campaigns. This major brand investment has turned sportswomen into stars, as they appear across TV, out of home, and on social media. Viewership records are being beaten year on year. From 2015 to 2023, global viewers of FIFA’s major women’s tournaments has increased by 163% whilst the UEFA Women’s Euros viewership has increased by a whopping 215%. A whopping 16.2 million people tuned in to watch the 2025 women’s Euro final between England and Spain across the BBC and ITV alone, making it the biggest live TV moment of 2025. As our Account Manager Indigo Roos puts it, “women’s sport isn’t just catching up, it has created its own space. Brands are now beginning to realise the immense cultural impact and untapped potential that comes with investing in this powerful movement.”

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It has always been a marketing and visibility issue - the interest has been there all along"

Journalist and former footballer Karen Carney OBE OLY (source: Visa)

Visa, lead sponsors of the UEFA Women’s EUROs since 2018, published a 2024 report, looking at the impact of brand investment in women’s football in which they noted: “Stakeholders have taken their responsibility to drive the visibility of the game seriously – and that, as we’ve found, has had a profound impact on the growth of the fandom surrounding the game.”

There’s immense opportunity for brands to tap into women’s sport through partnerships, offering the chance to showcase new role models, and reach new audiences. Visa’s report also noted that women’s football attracts a younger, more female fanbase than men’s, with 25% of fans aged under 35, compared to 16% in men’s. This offers brands a unique opportunity to tap into the spending power of this younger audience, and grow lifelong fans.
These pieces transcend traditional out of home advertising, acting more as monuments to our female sporting heroes, which further drives recognition for the game and the players. To be worthy of a mural, is to be worthy of greatness - and audiences take notice.

We recently painted a mural for Persil x Arsenal FC’s campaign ‘Every Stain Should Be Part of The Game’, which shed light on the fact 6 out of 10 girls avoid playing sports during their periods. The mural honoured Arsenal champions Kim Little, Leah Williamson and Katie McCabe including quotes from the players on playing during their periods, further providing visibility for this issue. Arsenal fans on their way to the match were showing their love for the piece, stopping to capture photos of and with the mural, and generating a huge amount of UGC as a result.
Brands turn to murals to stand out from the crowd. “There is something really unique about the skill and craftsmanship that goes into creating murals at such scale, and audiences recognise that” says Indigo. 

The impacts are being seen outside of football too.

For the 2024 Paris Olympics, we collaborated with Nike to create a reactive Manchester takeover, hot off the heels of Keely Hodgkinson’s epic Gold Medal win in the 800 metres sprint. Overnight, our team painted stunning hyper-realistic portraits of Keely in black and white across shipping containers and shutters across the city, creating an unforgettable surprise moment for both Keely and fans. Keely’s homecoming mural became an instant hit, drawing in crowds and turning Stevenson Square into a space of celebration, with huge press coverage. The combination of speed, artistry, and perfect timing helped Nike tap into this cultural moment for the city of Manchester, as they celebrated their hometown hero.

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The murals we painted of Keely Hodgkinson when she won gold weren’t just paintings, they were a moment of national pride and personal celebration. Keely coming to visit the portrait herself not only reinforces the emotional impact of murals, but also the importance of giving athletes their flowers."

Indigo Roos, Global Street Art Account Manager

It’s also of course a big moment for the sportswomen, to see themselves recognised in this way. Female athletes are finally getting the recognition they deserve, and murals are a very large, tangible symbol of that.

The broader impact

Visa’s report highlights the continued cycle of growth for brand partnerships and women’s football. Put simply, increasing investment leads to higher quality and competition in the game, which in turn drives higher visibility, expanding the fanbase. As the fanbase grows, so too does the investment.

This is a powerful story of progress in the drive for equality, and what can happen when brands help make space for new role models. We see huge opportunities for the impact of sponsorship across women’s sport, not just football, but in athletics, marathon events, women’s rugby and more in the future.