Boom In Women’s Football Creates New Opportunities In Hospitality Sector

Diners at the Bobby Moore Lounge Women’s football continues to attract a new and more diverse audience following the success of England’s Lionesses this summer.

A bumper crowd of 76,893 attended the England v USA fixture at Wembley on Friday (Oct 7th) – despite national rail strikes that were expected to severely disrupt overall attendance.

Club Wembley, the hospitality arm of Wembley Stadium, reported record hospitality bookings for the game, with stars of sport, TV and film keen to get in on the action.

There were more than 120 private box bookings for the game – the most for any domestic football fixture at Wembley this season*. In addition, more than 1,650 hospitality and Ticket Plus packages were sold across the stadium’s five dining areas.

Paul Scannell, Head of Club Wembley and Hospitality at Wembley Stadium, said: “There has been a real cultural shift in attitudes to women’s football and the success of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 accelerated people’s curiosity in the game

“Previously, interest in this type of fixture might have been from a dedicated group of supporters, but as soon as this game was announced we had huge levels of enquiries from fans across a broader range of sectors.

“There was a huge increase in the number of supporters who wanted to enhance their match-day experience by adding on hospitality options. It was on a par with what we might normally see for a major final or World Championship Boxing match.

“Women’s football now attracts a wider and diverse audience and there is a real opportunity for everyone working in the hospitality sector to meet their requirements.”

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Celebrities showed their support for the new heroes of English football. Arsenal and England forward, Bukayo Saka, who was recently voted England Supporter’s male player of the year was in attendance, alongside Olympian’s Dame Kelly Holmes and Dina Asher Smith. The cast of American hit series Ted Lasso, who are currently filming in the UK, were also in attendance.

Hollywood star Natalie Portman, who co-founded a women’s football team in America, Angel FC, also watched the game.

Women’s football has enjoyed a real boom since England tasted success at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 this summer. Attendance figures have been up at domestic fixtures across the WSL (Women’s Super League) and viewing figures on TV have risen.

A recent report by UEFA and the FA, highlighting the impact EURO 2022 has had on women’s football, said 85% of spectators who watched the tournament are likely to attend professional international and domestic women’s football events again in the future. It also stated that host cities received a £81m boost in economic activity because of the tournament.

*Only the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Final and World Title Heavyweight Fight between Tyson Fury v Dillian Whyte attracted more private box bookings.