Female Saints Fan

Female Fan Base Supports Saints in Superbowl Run

Have you noticed the recent explosion in female fans at Saints games the past year or two?  Trust me, there is no shortage of the ladies when it comes to New Orleans Saints football.  You’ll see them tailgating before the big game and in the Superdome stands during the game.  More women are even watching the games on T.V. with their husbands and kids. 

In fact, it is not only Saints football that has seen an increase in it’s female fan base.  The NFL reports that women across the country are more into football now than ever before. Though the NFL’s fan base was once considered to be heavily male, women now make up nearly half of the viewing audience.  NFL statistics show that from 2001 to 2005, the percentage of female NFL fans increased by 8.6 percent, and in 2005 an ESPN fan poll found that 43 percent of the football league’s fans were women. Women comprise 58 million of the 138 million Americans who consider themselves NFL fans.

It’s estimated that 45 million women watch NFL games each weekend and that 375,000-plus attend the matchups in person. Super Bowl XLIII, which featured the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals, had the second-largest number of female viewers of any sporting event in the last 15 years.  That game attracted 38.3 million female viewers–the most women to ever tune in to a Super Bowl.  The statistics also show that the number of women watching the Super Bowl has increased 8% over the past decade, and the trend is expected to continue with this years Superbowl, where it is estimated that 50 million female viewers tuned in.

According to the responses gathered at a focus group conducted by the NFL, “women agreed that the one time their family is together in the same place at the same time is Sunday afternoon watching football.”  It is also more accepted and expected for women to take an active interest in football. According to NFL research, more than 10,000 women annually attend NFL 101 workshops, which cover the history of the game, strategy, equipment and officiating.

The NFL has never been shy on its merchandising skills, and in customary fashion they jumped at the first chance they got to market to this growing fan base.  Almost since its inception the league has sold team gear such as hats and jerseys.  But most of it was designed for male fans. But that is now changing.  The women’s pro shop is now the NFL’s fastest growing department.

A few things have influenced this trend.  In 1999 Reebok designed the first women’s jersey and a shopping frenzy began.  Then in 2005 the Grren Bay Packers released a line of pink clothing to raise money for breast cancer research. Again, another star was born which helped pave the way for the NFL’s current clothing and accessories line.

So why the sudden explosing in the number of female fans?  Many theories exist, but the fact remains that football is the most popular sport in America for a reason. It’s not just about a game; football comes with a socialization aspect. There are few, if any, other sports that bring so many people together socially with a make-a-day-of-it frame of mind. From Super Bowl parties to tailgating festivities, the entertainment value of american football lies in the camaraderie that is shared by fellow fans. And you certainly can’t get any better than that in the city of New Orleans.