Events

UEFA report details success of Women’s Euros

Featured image credit: Jaanus Jagomägi on Unsplash

UEFA and the English Football Association (FA) have released a post-tournament flash impact report for the Women’s Euro 2022, which broke several attendance records.

The report has been produced by Ernst and Young (EY), and analyses data across six categories: operation success, growth of the professional game, physical exercise, sport and grassroots football participation, economic impact, social impact, and enhanced international reach.

As UEFA has previously reported, the total cumulative attendance across the tournament was 574,875, with this figure including 110,555 international spectators from 104 countries. The average match attendance was 18,544.

The final between England and Germany at Wembley on July 31 attracted 87,192 fans – a record attendance across the men’s and women’s editions of the European Championship.

Before the start of the tournament, the record crowd for a Women’s Euro match was 43,301 – set during the 2013 final between Germany and Norway at Stockholm’s Friends Arena – but this was beaten on the opening day as 68,871 fans watched England’s 1-0 win against Austria at Old Trafford.

EY’s report has found that 85% of spectators are likely to attend professional international and domestic women’s football events again in the future. The report was based on an independent survey of spectators, local residents in host cities, tournament volunteers and legacy programme participants.

Host cities received a £81m (€92.3m/$90.7m) boost in economic activity as a result of the tournament, while domestic and international visitors made over 552,000 day and overnight trips to host cities. Total spectator spending around match days and trips across England amounted to £44m.

The tournament also recorded a 289% increase in media rights values since the previous Women’s Euro. The event was also the most watched Women’s Euro ever with a projected global live viewership of 365 million across 195 territories.

Nadine Kessler, UEFA’s chief of women’s football, said: “This report confirms the positive impact UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 is still having long after the final whistle, and the historic legacy of this tournament.

“We must now capitalise on these successes to continue advancing our game for girls and women, to secure further commitments to women’s football as well as to showcase the benefits of hosting this tournament as the bidding process for UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 is underway.”

Baroness Sue Campbell, Euro 2022 board member and director of women’s football at the FA, added: “Our aim for this tournament was twofold: to deliver a record-breaking tournament and to leave a tangible legacy to grow the women’s game. We saw records tumble over the summer and this report not only confirms that, but importantly highlights its incredible short-term legacy on growing the game.

“Fans have been inspired to play and support, with record attendances witnessed in our domestic leagues and a sold-out Wembley Stadium to look forward to (tomorrow for England vs USA). Our work certainly does not stop here, we will continue to use this tournament to inspire positive change, not only in our host cities, but across the country.”

The report is a follow-up of the Women’s Euro 2022 pre-tournament impact report released in May. Further developments in participation and interest in women’s football, as well as the legacy of the tournament, will be monitored for the full post-event impact study, which will be published in the summer of 2023.