Football is traditionally looked at as a heavily dominated male sport, both at from the side of the players, the business and the fans. However, China presents an emergent social stratum of empowered, independent, social media-savvy female football fans that clubs should not overlook when planning their China digital strategy.
The numbers speak for themselves: over 30% of all football fans on Chinese social media are women. Around 60 million total female football fans in the whole country, which corresponds to the entire population of both Italy and the UK, home to the most popular clubs in the World.
But why do so many women follow football in China? According to the infographic released today by Mailman Group, there are 3 main reasons for women to be passionate about the sport:
The Popularity of Online Video Streaming
In China, football matches are viewed at home via video streaming rather than at the pub and they become an opportunity for a family gathering.
China’s One Child Policy
With the possibility of having one child only, fathers will pass their passion for football on to their daughters, as well as their sons.
Celebrity Player’s Sex Factor
As seen in the case of David Beckham, celebrity players are a driving factor as to why fans watch European football.
“These results demonstrate that brands might be missing a key sponsorship opportunity when it comes to football teams…..targeting the untapped pool of female football fans” stated Andrew Collins, CEO of Mailman Group.
Check out the infographic below or download it here.