From packed stadiums to record-breaking betting volumes, women’s sports are redefining fan engagement and shaping the future of sports betting.

Flutter Entertainment is experiencing a new era in sports history; one where women’s sports aren’t just part of the conversation but are leading it. Sell-out crowds, viral moments and new superstars are driving engagement like never before. This isn’t just cultural momentum – it’s reshaping fan behavior and sports betting trends, where female competitions are seeing unprecedented growth.

The momentum is two-fold. Women’s sports appeal to female audiences who have historically been underrepresented among sports fans, while also winning over more male fans who are seeing the same compelling storylines, rivalries and high-caliber competition they enjoy in men’s sports. Today’s fans aren’t just watching, they are connecting, following and engaging with their favorite athletes on social media. And that connection is personal. Influencers such as US rugby player Ilona Maher, who has 8.6 million social media followers on Instagram and TikTok, are amplifying that energy and drawing new fans into the conversation.

The England women’s national soccer team, the Lionesses, defended their European Championships title in dramatic fashion, with Chloe Kelly scoring the winning penalty in a sold-out Basel stadium in Switzerland. The Lionesses, who played their first match 100 years after the men’s team, have now won more major trophies than their male counterparts.

Across the tournament, 657,291 fans attended 31 matches, the highest in the competition’s history, while the final drew a global live audience of 45 million. This wasn’t just a win on the pitch; it also produced significant engagement, with betting volumes climbing across Flutter brands as fans rallied behind their teams.

The 2025 Ladies’ French Open final, in which American Coco Gauff defeated Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, wasn’t just a showcase of elite tennis; it became one of Flutter’s biggest betting moments. It was the third-highest tennis event in Flutter history, in terms of total money wagered, fuelled largely by US bettors who tuned in despite the time difference.

A month later, at Wimbledon, betting patterns told an unexpected story. In five out of seven qualifying matches, 21-year-old Argentinian ‘lucky loser’ Solana Sierra attracted more bets than her higher-seeded rivals. Lucky losers are players who lost their qualifying match for the tournament but end up with a place because others have withdrawn.

The only players to attract more bets than Sierra were Britain’s Katie Boulter, a home favorite, and Laura Siegemund, the German player who ended Sierra’s run. Over the past three years, the Ladies’ tournament has seen steady growth in betting activity across Flutter platforms.

Meanwhile, in basketball, the sport’s new superstar is a woman. Caitlin Clark didn’t just join the WNBA in 2024; she redefined it. Her debut season helped deliver the league’s highest attendance in 26 years, with TV views nearly tripling year-on-year. The betting impact was just as striking: the WNBA bet count at FanDuel, Flutter’s leading US sports brand, rose 273% in 2024 compared to the 2023 season, with Clark alone accounting for 13% of all player prop bets – a wager on an outcome rather than the final score. Angel Reese, who the media has positioned as Clark’s main rival, wasn’t far behind at 5%, suggesting that rivalries drive both attention and wagering.