WOMEN’S FOOTBALL BUSINESS AWARD
Barclays x Barclays Women’s Super League
In 2019, Barclays made the largest-ever investment in UK women’s sport by becoming the title sponsor of the Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL). We renewed and expanded our partnership in 2022 and 2024, now extending it through 2028. Together, we’ve elevated the BWSL globally, creating opportunities, celebrating role models, and breaking records.
Bristol City WFC
Bristol City has launched the club’s three-year women’s football strategy, which outlines the club’s vision, mission, targets and how they plan to achieve their strategic objectives.
The club-wide vision to Grow Together, Play At The Highest Level and Inspire Our Community is at the heart of the strategy.
MatchFit
Since MatchFit was founded in 2020, we have always placed high importance on women’s football. In 2024, we went one step further to ensure women’s football lives at the heart of the agency by curating a specialist women’s football team who prioritise the growth of the sport and harness its potential to the fullest.
This past year, we have helped some of the best clients in women’s football land campaigns which truly engage new and existing audiences through “earned storytelling”. We are always committed to elevating women’s football on and off the pitch by creating PR campaigns that challenge norms and push boundaries. From grassroots to the elite, we want to inspire people of all ages and abilities to love women’s football as much as we do.
Pixellot and the FFF
The French Football Federation (FFF) and the Ligue Féminine de Football Professionnel (LFFP) are committed to elevating women’s football in France, striving for professionalism and equity in resources. However, challenges such as limited access to advanced analytics, lack of media visibility, and gaps in performance development hindered progress.
To address these issues, the FFF and LFFP partnered with Pixellot, a global leader in AI-automated sports video technology, deploying AI-powered cameras across the Arkema Première Ligue and Seconde Ligue. This technology provided automated video capture, AI-driven performance analysis, enhanced streaming capabilities, and personalized player insights, empowering clubs with professional-grade tools. Training programs at Clairefontaine ensured seamless adoption.
The results have been transformational:
✔ Increased Visibility – More media coverage, fan engagement, and sponsorship opportunities.
✔ Enhanced Performance Analysis – Coaches and players now leverage data-driven insights for strategic improvements.
✔ Equality in Resources – Bridging gaps between men’s and women’s football.
✔ Professionalization of Clubs – Raising operational standards across leagues.
This collaboration is a benchmark for innovation in women’s football, proving that technology can drive systemic change. As Jean-Michel Aulas put it: “With Pixellot, we are ensuring that players and coaches have the tools they need to succeed.”
She’s A Baller
SAB is the UK’s largest independent women’s football publisher and creative agency working with global brands like adidas, eBay, EA Sports, and Puma. Since its inception in 2019, SAB has been at the forefront of championing women’s football, combining innovative content creation with impactful community initiatives. Reaching 26 million monthly viewers, SAB delivers news, insights, and entertainment while supporting grassroots organisations like Goals4Girls and Football Pride.
SAB’s industry leadership is driven by a dedicated team of women’s football experts and ex-professional players, who collaborate with brands, clubs, and rights holders to amplify the women’s game. The agency’s approach includes history-making events, such as the UK’s first WSL watch-along and the Women’s FA Cup Fourth Round Draw, alongside actionable insights from its “Women’s Football Fandom” report.
SAB’s campaigns consistently exceed industry benchmarks, as demonstrated by its EA Sports’ WSL Ratings Reveal, which achieved a 90% story completion rate and 240,000 plays organically. SAB’s community impact includes supporting underrepresented groups, tackling abuse, and celebrating diverse fandoms.
The Football Supporters Association
Supporters = Genuine and Key Stakeholders
The FSA has been working on the women’s game since 2019, and we now have blossoming communities in domestic and international football.
After running the first ever Fans’ Embassy for the Women’s World Cup in 2019 we’ve continued to develop supporter activism on an international level including Fans’ Embassies for the Euros in 2022 and the WWC23 in Australia.
Now that we have a solid structure in place, and have become a trusted source, we continue to work with stakeholders from across the game to advocate for supporters across all levels.
Women’s football is continuing to grow and develop at a fast pace, and it is our job to ensure supporters are integral to every decision at a local and national level.
We will support, train and develop our supporter volunteers so they are they are ready to be at the heart of their clubs and a key stakeholder in decision making around the game.
Valeur Sport
The gender pay gap in sport remains a significant barrier for women, fueled by a lack of transparency and access to critical salary data. Valeur is tackling this challenge head-on with a pioneering online platform that empowers women to benchmark salaries, access career resources, and build meaningful networks.
By providing data-driven insights, expert-led discussions, and targeted advocacy campaigns, Valeur is giving women the tools they need to negotiate their worth and advance their careers.
Valeur is not just a platform – it’s a movement to level the playing field for women in sport. By equipping women with the knowledge and support they need, we are reshaping the industry from the inside out, ensuring that every woman – whether in the boardroom or the back office – can claim her rightful place at the table.
