Women's Football Merchandise and Licensing in 2026

This guide collects the verified figures for clubs, tournaments and the German league, and explains what they mean for merchandise and licensing.

Key Takeaways

Deloitte’s Women’s Football Money League 2026 shows the top 15 clubs earning 158 million euros, up 35%, with commercial revenue at 72% of the total.
Broadcast revenue fell to 13% of club revenue, so growth depends on sponsorship, partnerships and merchandising.
UEFA reported record numbers for Women’s EURO 2025: 657,291 tickets sold and 412 million live TV viewers.
The Frauen-Bundesliga drew 653,750 spectators in 2025/26, an average of 3,592 per match, according to the DFB.
We found no verified merchandise or licensing revenue figure for women’s football from any source, so claims about it should be treated as estimates.

How Big Is the Women’s Football Market?

Deloitte’s Women’s Football Money League, published in January 2026 for the 2024/25 season, reports that the 15 top-ranked clubs earned 158 million euros, up 35%. Arsenal Women led with 25.6 million euros, followed by Chelsea at 25.4 million and Barcelona at 22 million (Deloitte press release). Bayern’s women’s team ranked eighth with 7.2 million euros.

Three details matter for anyone selling products:

Commercial income is the engine. It rose from 66% to 72% of club revenue, and Deloitte calls it the growth engine of the women’s game.
Broadcast is shrinking as a share. It fell from 18% to 13%.
The gap is widening. The top three clubs averaged 24.3 million euros against 7 million for the other 12, by our calculation from Deloitte’s figures.

Scale is still small. Deloitte’s men’s ranking for the same season shows the top 20 clubs at 12.4 billion euros, so the women’s top 15 are roughly 1.3% of that, by our calculation. The two lists are not like for like, so read this as an order of magnitude only.

What Does the Forecast Say?

Deloitte forecast in April 2026 that women’s elite sport would generate at least 3 billion dollars in 2026, up 25%, with football about 35% of the total. It defines commercial revenue as sponsorship, partnerships and merchandising, and puts it at 45% of the total, while Europe accounts for only 14% against 54% for North America (Deloitte). It is the only source we found that names merchandising within the commercial category, and it gives no merchandise-only figure.

What Did Tournaments Show?

UEFA reported that Women’s EURO 2025 in Switzerland sold 657,291 tickets, a record, and that 29 of 31 matches sold out. It said 412 million people watched live on television, and that sponsorship revenue rose 150% on 2022 (UEFA tournament summary). These are the organizer’s own figures, and “tickets sold” is not the same as attendance.

In the Women’s Champions League, UEFA centralized media and sponsorship rights, and projects a distribution of 37.7 million euros per season for 2025/26 and 2026/27 (UEFA).

What Is Happening in Germany?

The DFB reports a record 2025/26 season in the Frauen-Bundesliga: 653,750 spectators over 182 matches, an average of 3,592, up from 2,875 in 2023/24 (DFB). The league grew from 12 to 14 clubs, so the average is more meaningful than the total. All 14 clubs average more than 1,000, but the spread is wide: Union Berlin averages 8,208, Hoffenheim 1,065 (DFB).

Television followed. A league match drew 2.39 million viewers on ZDF, a league record (DFB), and the 2026 DFB Cup final drew 2.12 million on free TV (DFB).

What Does It Mean for Women’s Football Merchandise?

The best evidence for fan demand is retail data, not licensing revenue. The operator of England’s official online store reported that Lionesses merchandise sales rose 242% in the 24 hours after the Women’s EURO 2025 final, compared with the 2022 tournament (City AM). It is a retailer’s figure with a specific baseline, so it should not be combined with other percentages.

For licensing, three consequences follow from the data:

Demand is concentrated. A few clubs and tournaments carry most of the revenue, so programs for the top clubs and for the national team have the most volume.
Collectibles suit match-day audiences. Pins, medals and keyrings are compact products for events, and Am Ball is an official licensee for the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the DFB-Pokal der Frauen. Our guide to how sports merchandise licensing works explains the approval steps.
Planning matters more than forecasting. Dates such as the Women’s World Cup in Brazil, scheduled for June and July 2027, are known, so product and approvals can be planned ahead, as in our guide to anniversary merchandising.

What Are the Risks and Caveats?

The growth story is real, but it starts from a small base, and a few clubs capture most of it.
Club broadcast revenue is falling as a share, so commercial income carries the growth.
Most numbers are self-reported by organizers or come from Deloitte, which also sells advisory services.
We found no verified merchandise or licensing figure for women’s football, and not finding one does not prove none exists.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do women’s football clubs earn?

The 15 top-ranked clubs earned 158 million euros in 2024/25, with Arsenal Women highest at 25.6 million euros, according to Deloitte.

Is merchandising a big part of women’s football revenue?

Commercial income, which includes sponsorship, partnerships and merchandising, was 72% of top-club revenue. We found no merchandise-only figure.

How popular is the Frauen-Bundesliga?

It averaged 3,592 spectators per match in 2025/26, a record, according to the DFB.

Did the Women’s EURO 2025 boost merchandise?

The operator of England’s official online store reported a 242% jump in Lionesses merchandise sales in the 24 hours after the final, compared with 2022.

When is the next Women’s World Cup?

It is scheduled for Brazil from 24 June to 25 July 2027, according to Inside World Football.

Conclusion

Women’s football is growing on commercial income, but unevenly and from a small base. Plan merchandise around the clubs and events with proven demand, and treat any merchandise figure without a source as an estimate.

Reach out to discuss licensed merchandise for women’s football.