Blab Sports
National Poll Reveals Womens Sports Fans Face Major Access Barriers
A new national poll released by WPVI on Friday, July 31, 2026, shows that while overall sports fans feel they can watch most of the games they want, women’s sports fans are far less likely to find and view the events they follow. The survey found that 58 % of all sports fans say they can access most or all of the sports they want to watch, but only 42 % of women’s sports fans reported the same level of access.
The findings echo concerns raised by Jen Leary, managing partner of Stoop Pigeon, a women‑focused sports venue that will open in Philadelphia later this year. Leary, who also founded Watch Party PHL, said fans often face significant hurdles when trying to watch women’s sporting events. “If you want to watch women’s rugby, that’s one app that you have to hunt down, find, and then pay for,” Leary said. She added that professional women’s baseball presents a similar problem. “If you want to watch, for instance, Monet Davis playing in the inaugural season of the WPBL, the Women’s Professional Baseball League, this Saturday, not being aired anywhere where people can watch it nationally,” Leary said. “In order to watch that game, you have to download an app or find it on YouTube. It’s insane to me.”
Leary said the issue is not a lack of interest in women’s sports but a lack of visibility and accessibility. In Philadelphia, venues such as Marsha’s and Stoop Pigeon are among the few places that provide dedicated spaces for fans to watch women’s sports. Nationally, there are only about 30 such venues. Leary expects more women‑sports‑focused venues to emerge as interest continues to increase. “We know that from the watch parties, we know it from the Stoop Pigeon, and we know it from Unrivaled coming here and selling out,” she said. “The system is not set up to make it easy to watch.”
The Women’s Professional Baseball League, which began play in 2026, currently does not have a national broadcast partner. The league’s inaugural season features four teams—Boston Hunters, New York Heights, Los Angeles Queens, and San Francisco Firebells—playing a six‑week regular season with games that last seven innings and use aluminum bats. According to the league’s website, all games are played at a neutral venue, Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois, and the league intends to broadcast its games on a national network rather than on regional sports networks. However, the lack of a national broadcast deal means fans must rely on the league’s own streaming app or other online platforms to view games.
Women’s rugby also faces similar distribution challenges. While the sport has grown in popularity, many fans must locate specific apps or streaming services to watch matches. The lack of a centralized broadcast platform limits exposure and makes it difficult for casual fans to follow the sport.
Expanding access to women’s sports may require additional media partners for various leagues. That approach could put more games in front of viewers, but it could also create challenges for fans by requiring multiple subscriptions across different streaming and broadcast providers, potentially limiting access even further. The poll’s findings suggest that improving access remains a key challenge in connecting audiences with the games they want to watch.
The poll highlights a growing gap between demand for women’s sports and the infrastructure needed to deliver it. While the number of fans who can watch most sports is high, the proportion of women’s sports fans who can do the same is less than half. The issue is not a lack of interest, but a lack of visibility and accessibility. Venues like Stoop Pigeon and Marsha’s are filling a gap, but the broader ecosystem—league broadcast deals, streaming platforms, and national coverage—must evolve to meet the growing demand for women’s sports.
Some experts suggest that partnerships with existing national broadcasters could streamline access, while others argue that a dedicated streaming platform for women’s sports might offer a more consistent viewing experience. The WPVI poll also noted that fans who rely on multiple subscriptions report lower satisfaction, indicating that a unified distribution model could improve engagement.
The findings echo concerns raised by Jen Leary, managing partner of Stoop Pigeon, a women‑focused sports venue that will open in Philadelphia later this year. Leary, who also founded Watch Party PHL, said fans often face significant hurdles when trying to watch women’s sporting events. “If you want to watch women’s rugby, that’s one app that you have to hunt down, find, and then pay for,” Leary said. She added that professional women’s baseball presents a similar problem. “If you want to watch, for instance, Monet Davis playing in the inaugural season of the WPBL, the Women’s Professional Baseball League, this Saturday, not being aired anywhere where people can watch it nationally,” Leary said. “In order to watch that game, you have to download an app or find it on YouTube. It’s insane to me.”
Leary said the issue is not a lack of interest in women’s sports but a lack of visibility and accessibility. In Philadelphia, venues such as Marsha’s and Stoop Pigeon are among the few places that provide dedicated spaces for fans to watch women’s sports. Nationally, there are only about 30 such venues. Leary expects more women‑sports‑focused venues to emerge as interest continues to increase. “We know that from the watch parties, we know it from the Stoop Pigeon, and we know it from Unrivaled coming here and selling out,” she said. “The system is not set up to make it easy to watch.”
The Women’s Professional Baseball League, which began play in 2026, currently does not have a national broadcast partner. The league’s inaugural season features four teams—Boston Hunters, New York Heights, Los Angeles Queens, and San Francisco Firebells—playing a six‑week regular season with games that last seven innings and use aluminum bats. According to the league’s website, all games are played at a neutral venue, Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois, and the league intends to broadcast its games on a national network rather than on regional sports networks. However, the lack of a national broadcast deal means fans must rely on the league’s own streaming app or other online platforms to view games.
Women’s rugby also faces similar distribution challenges. While the sport has grown in popularity, many fans must locate specific apps or streaming services to watch matches. The lack of a centralized broadcast platform limits exposure and makes it difficult for casual fans to follow the sport.
Expanding access to women’s sports may require additional media partners for various leagues. That approach could put more games in front of viewers, but it could also create challenges for fans by requiring multiple subscriptions across different streaming and broadcast providers, potentially limiting access even further. The poll’s findings suggest that improving access remains a key challenge in connecting audiences with the games they want to watch.
The poll highlights a growing gap between demand for women’s sports and the infrastructure needed to deliver it. While the number of fans who can watch most sports is high, the proportion of women’s sports fans who can do the same is less than half. The issue is not a lack of interest, but a lack of visibility and accessibility. Venues like Stoop Pigeon and Marsha’s are filling a gap, but the broader ecosystem—league broadcast deals, streaming platforms, and national coverage—must evolve to meet the growing demand for women’s sports.
Some experts suggest that partnerships with existing national broadcasters could streamline access, while others argue that a dedicated streaming platform for women’s sports might offer a more consistent viewing experience. The WPVI poll also noted that fans who rely on multiple subscriptions report lower satisfaction, indicating that a unified distribution model could improve engagement.
