As the outstandingly successful Women’s Euro 2025 comes to a close, and with the Women’s Rugby World Cup just around the corner, already on track to break attendance records, the spotlight on women’s sports and women’s sports investment has never been brighter. The conversation around its power and potential is not only timely, but essential. Few voices capture that momentum with more clarity and conviction than Billie Jean King. In this Q&A, she shares compelling insights on why visibility, investment, and belief are critical, and how achievements on the field can drive progress far beyond it, from the boardroom to the halls of power. Her message is clear: the time to lead, invest, and champion change is now. Read on to explore her perspective.
Q: How do you think women’s achievements in sports fuel their advancement in the workplace, in politics and in society?
Billie Jean King: Sports are a microcosm of society, when women succeed in sport, the ripple effect is huge. We see confidence, leadership, resilience and all of that translates directly into the boardroom, into politics, into community leadership. Sport teaches us how to show up under pressure, how to work as a team, how to make sure your voice is heard. And when girls and women see others breaking barriers in sports, it sends a message: you belong, you matter, and you can lead. That’s powerful and it’s contagious!
Q: Despite the popularity of women’s sport, particularly soccer, continuing to grow around Europe every year, what are the biggest factors still holding professional women’s sport back?
Billie Jean King: It still comes down to investment and mindset. We need more visibility, more marketing, and more belief. If you give women the same platform, promotion, and resources that men have had for decades, you’ll see the returns. The product is great. The athletes are world-class. When decision-makers catch up investment levels will rise, and women’s sports investment will have a true impact.
Q: What are key factors you would look at when considering investing in a professional sports team, and does this differ between men’s and women’s?
Billie Jean King: We look at purpose, potential, and people. What’s the long-term vision? Who’s running the team? Are they thinking about building community, growing the game, and creating access? That’s where the real value is. We don’t actually separate men’s and women’s teams in that process, but women’s sports often have a bigger growth curve, and that’s exciting. You’re getting in earlier, and you’re shaping the future. Take the Professional Women’s Hockey League [PWHL] for example; investment has led to sold out stadiums and the largest increase ever this year in young girls playing hockey. Women’s sports investment in this area has truly paid off. Also, if you look at Angel City FC, the team’s valuation grew from a few million dollars to $250 million. That is progress.
Q: How can investors help to overcome these challenges?
Billie Jean King: Show up and speak up. Invest not just in salaries, but in the infrastructure: the marketing, the broadcast, the facilities, the youth pipeline. And be patient. You don’t expect instant returns in any business this is no different. The NBA took 25 years to really take off and become profitable. After 29 years, the WNBA has turned the corner and is reaching larger audiences and generating increased levels of income. Investment in women’s sports, although still nascent, is pivotal for long-term success.
Q: Given your experience with U.S. sports, what misconceptions could European investors still have about the commercial viability of women’s soccer, or sport in general?
Billie Jean King: One big misconception is that there’s no market for women’s sports. That’s just not true. The numbers are there in attendance, in merchandise, in engagement. You just have to invest in telling the stories and building the brand. The growth is exponential. Another one is that women’s sports are a “niche” but they’re not niche, they’ve just been woefully underfunded. In the U.S., we’re seeing what happens when you finally give women’s sports a real platform and support it with a committed investment. Women’s sports investment is crucial. Europe has the history, the fanbase, the passion…now it’s about belief, real investment and patience.
