Why Women's Cricket Is Becoming a Strategic Sponsorship Platform

Women’s cricket is becoming an increasingly valuable sponsorship platform as global audiences grow, dedicated commercial opportunities expand and brands gain more ways to engage fans across live sport and digital channels.

The commercial shift is already visible. The International Cricket Council has introduced dedicated partnerships for women’s cricket, with global brands including Unilever and Google investing directly in the women’s game.

Audience growth is strengthening the case further. According to the ICC, the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 generated 5.2 billion video views and 279 million social media interactions, while 8.5 million unique visitors used the ICC website and app during the tournament.

For brands considering cricket sponsorship, three developments are making women’s cricket particularly relevant:

• Growing global audiences are increasing the reach available around major tournaments.
• Dedicated commercial rights are giving brands clearer opportunities to invest specifically in the women’s game.
• More activation opportunities allow sponsors to engage fans through broadcast, digital content, social media, retail, live events and athlete partnerships.

Together, these factors are giving women’s cricket a stronger commercial identity and creating sponsorship opportunities for brands seeking international awareness, fan engagement and long-term association with a growing sport.

Women's Cricket is Developing its Own Commercial Identity

Growing audiences are being matched by changes in how women’s cricket is sold to sponsors.

In March 2025, the ICC announced Unilever as its first dedicated commercial partner for women’s cricket. The agreement covers major competitions including the Women’s Cricket World Cup, Women’s T20 World Cups and the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy.

Google followed in August 2025 with a women’s-only global partnership with the ICC.

These agreements give brands clearer opportunities to invest specifically in the women’s game and build campaigns around its tournaments, players and fans.

Major Brands Are Putting the Opportunity into Practice

The involvement of Google and Unilever shows how global brands are approaching women’s cricket as a dedicated marketing platform.

Google’s partnership has included fan-focused activity such as an exclusive Google Pay ticket presale for the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup.

KETTLE Chips also became an Official Supporter of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, extending its sponsorship into UK retail and match-day fan experiences.

These partnerships show how sponsorship can connect with digital, retail and experiential marketing. A well planned sports advertising campaign can help turn those rights into meaningful interactions with fans.

A Growing Cricket Calendar Creates More Opportunities

Women’s cricket also offers sponsors a more substantial international calendar.

The ICC Women’s Future Tours Programme for 2025 to 2029 includes around 400 international matches, with major ICC women’s tournaments scheduled throughout the cycle.

Domestic and franchise competitions add further visibility, including the Women’s Premier League in India and professional domestic cricket in England.

For brands, this creates opportunities to sponsor a tournament, team or player, or build a longer partnership across several seasons.

Women's Cricket Connects Brands With International Audiences

Cricket has established audiences across India, the UK, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, the Caribbean and other markets.

Major women’s tournaments bring many of these audiences together, giving sponsors the flexibility to target one market or build campaigns across several territories.

That international reach makes cricket advertising particularly relevant for brands seeking visibility across multiple markets.

Players Offer Another Route Into Women's Cricket

Growing coverage is also increasing the profiles of leading female cricketers.

Brands can work with players across advertising, social content, product launches, appearances and fan experiences.

The strongest partnerships depend on relevance. Audience, geography, personality and brand fit should all influence athlete selection.

What Should Brands Consider Before Sponsoring Women's Cricket

Growing audiences alone do not guarantee a successful sponsorship. Brands need to choose opportunities that support clear commercial objectives.

Audience and Market Fit

Identify who the sponsorship needs to reach and where those audiences are located. This helps determine whether a tournament, team or player offers the strongest fit.

Sponsorship Rights

Understand what the agreement includes, from branding and digital content to player appearances, hospitality and category exclusivity.

Activation Strategy

Decide how fans will experience the partnership through content, retail, competitions, athlete activity or match-day experiences.

Measurement

Set relevant measures before launch. These could include reach, engagement, brand awareness, website traffic, leads or sales depending on the campaign objective.

As women’s cricket continues to grow, the opportunities for brands are becoming broader and more commercially established. The right tournament, team or athlete partnership can help sponsors reach engaged cricket audiences across key markets when supported by a clear strategy and measurable objectives.

If your brand is exploring opportunities in women’s cricket or wider sports sponsorship, get in touch with us to discuss a sponsorship strategy built around your audience, markets and commercial goals.