AWSN predicts soaring Saudi Arabia demand for women’s sports apparel
All Women’s Sports Network, a television network founded by Hollywood actor Whoopi Goldberg at the end of 2024, is expected to launch in Saudi Arabia later this month.
The chief executive of All Women’s Sports Network — the first 24-hour sports network dedicated exclusively to women's sports — believes the channel will cause new industries in the kingdom to “explode,” including female-tailored product lines, such as apparel, as well as sports media and live events.
AWSN, a television network founded by Hollywood actor Whoopi Goldberg at the end of 2024, launched in Saudi Arabia in September this year, coinciding with the start of the Saudi Women’s Premier League, named after England’s coveted Premier League and complementing the men’s Saudi Pro League. It was a groundbreaking development in Saudi Arabia, a once ultraconservative country that, until September 2017, prohibited girls from participating in P.E. lessons and sports at public schools.
AWSN has aired eight Saudi Women’s Premier League games outside of the kingdom across its network, which spans more than 60 countries, since the channel's September launch. The 24-hour network is expected to go live in the kingdom in mid-December, according to AWSN CEO George Chung. For Saudi Arabia, the network's launch aligns with the broader aims of Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify the economy away from a reliance on oil by the end of the decade by investing in other sectors such as artificial intelligence, clean energy, entertainment and sports. Central to Vision 2030, launched by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2016, is empowering women — a mission AWSN says it shares.
The kingdom has been heavily investing in the sports sector as a whole, luring some of the biggest stars to the kingdom, such as soccer players Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema. However, most of this investment has been focused on men's sports, which have traditionally had larger audiences.
The U17 Qadsiah team celebrates senior player Lea Le Garrec (C) following the conclusion of the Saudi Women’s Premier League on April 26. (AWSN)
Research published in March by global accounting and consultancy firm Deloitte forecasted that revenues in women’s sports are growing significantly faster than previously predicted and will reach at least $2.35 billion globally in 2025. In 2023, Deloitte said all women’s sports combined would generate more than $1 billion for the first time in 2024, but the true figure by the end of the year was much higher than expected, reaching $1.88 billion, after a 240% increase in only four years.
Chung believes the arrival of AWSN in the kingdom will see multiple sectors take off, including sports media, videos, print and vlogs.
“There is a product line that's ready to explode,” Chung said in an interview with Al-Monitor. “Because many women athletes will tell you — and many men don't realize this — that their sporting gear and apparel often is just a men's small or a men's medium.”
He believes that showing Saudi women’s sports on television for 24 hours a day will lead to a boom in the industry, creating sports products specifically tailored for women in the kingdom. Chung has witnessed a similar trend in other regional markets that AWSN launched in, such as the United Arab Emirates in November 2024.
“There was a time when people wore sweaters, trainers and joggers, and then suddenly you have companies like Lululemon and ALO — brands that have come up with sports clothes specifically designed for women,” Chung said.
According to market research firm Business Research Insights, the global women’s sportswear market is expected to nearly double from $335 billion in 2025 to $646.6 billion in 2034.
The numbers showing a surge in women participating in sports in the kingdom appear to support Chung's prognosis. Since the launch of Vision 2030 in 2016, women’s participation in sport has soared by more than 150%, with more than 330,000 girls now registered in sporting programs across the country, according to figures published by the Saudi Press Agency in April. SPA noted that as of April, more than 70,000 girls compete in school-level competitions, 37 national women’s teams have been established and 97 certified female coaches are active within the kingdom.
The CEO also foresees an uptick in live women’s sports events following the launch of AWSN, particularly leagues and competitions. Many investors will see the potential for high returns on their investments in women's sports. Unlike men's sports, women's sports have not had the opportunity to grow in the same way, yet their fan base is "just as strong," loyal and passionate as men's is.
“I can see an entire ecosystem grow very quickly. I'm talking in the next 24 months, you'll be able to see that,” Chung added.
He believes that AWSN’s value in the Middle East will reach “the several hundreds of millions” over the next three years, but he stressed that the network is looking to help build a sporting ecosystem in the kingdom, rather than aim for a short-term return.
Moroccan Al Ahli player Ibtissam Jraidi celebrates scoring a goal against Al Amal during the 10th round of the 2024/25 Saudi Women’s Premier League season. (AWSN)
AWSN hopes to diversify revenue beyond broadcasting and to that end is planning a series of training camps and championship festivals next year across sports, including soccer, basketball, volleyball and combat sports. By combat sports, Chung is referring to boxing, kickboxing and traditional martial arts, which are "very popular" in the kingdom, both with men and women.
Chung’s ambition to turn Saudi Arabia into a sporting hub for women would have sounded far-fetched a decade ago, given the Islamic country’s conservative history. Now, with the support of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 reforms, that dream is poised to become a reality.
