The Business Case for Women’s Sports

August 31, 2026

Women’s sports are no longer a bet on whether an audience will show up. The audience is already there, and the business around it is growing—from tickets and sponsorships to media, hospitality, tourism and local spending. Iowa has already demonstrated that demand.


That makes the decision in Des Moines bigger than which soccer team plays here. The Krause plan offered something MLS NEXT Pro does not: a Division I professional women’s soccer team and an opportunity to build the businesses, jobs, youth pathways, sponsorships and community activity around it.


If Des Moines moves toward MLS NEXT Pro, that women’s opportunity is not being replaced. It is being left out. Before deciding what comes next, Des Moines should understand the economic opportunity it may be giving up.


Iowa & Des Moines: The Demand Is Already Here

  • 17,000 tickets: A past NCAA women’s basketball regional in Des Moines sold approximately 17,000 tickets and generated an estimated $2 million in economic impact for Greater Des Moines. — Business Record
  • 1,000+ customers: One Iowa City business reported more than 1,000 customers during a promotion tied to Caitlin Clark and Iowa women’s basketball, calling it one of its best business days. — Daily Iowan
  • $82.5 million: A study estimated Caitlin Clark’s Iowa career generated $82.5 million in additional consumer spending across Iowa over three seasons. — Daily Iowan

Women’s Sports: A Growing Business

  • $3 billion: Global elite women’s sports revenue is projected to reach at least $3 billion in 2026, up 25% from 2025. — Deloitte
  • $1.4 billion in commercial revenue: Sponsorship and other commercial revenue is projected to represent roughly 45% of global women’s sports revenue in 2026. — Deloitte
  • $765 million in broadcast revenue: Global broadcast revenue is projected to rise from $551 million in 2025 to $765 million in 2026. — Deloitte
  • Sponsorship is growing: The NWSL generated approximately $60 million in sponsorship revenue in 2024, roughly four times its level five years earlier. — McKinsey
  • The market is still early: Women’s sports remain significantly smaller than men’s sports financially, leaving substantial room for growth in audiences, sponsorship, media and facilities. — Financial Times


USL Super League: The Opportunity

  • Division I: The USL Super League is a U.S. Soccer-sanctioned Division I professional women’s league that began play in August 2024.
  • Growing: The league expanded from 8 teams in its inaugural season to 9 in 2025-26, adding Sporting Club Jacksonville.
  • Fans are showing up: Carolina Ascent averaged 4,032 fans in its inaugural season; Dallas Trinity averaged 3,546 and Tampa Bay Sun 3,183.
  • 10,553 fans: Carolina Ascent drew 10,553 fans for the league’s first-ever match, a sellout.
  • National media: For the 2025-26 season, all 126 regular-season games and three postseason games were scheduled for Peacock.
  • Built around more than games: USL's model connects professional teams with stadiums, sponsorship, media, youth development, events and surrounding development.


What This Means for Des Moines

  • The city has ended negotiations with Krause Group after seven years of discussions over the proposed downtown stadium and development project.
  • The alternative being discussed is MLS NEXT Pro, a men's Division III development league. It is below MLS (Division I) and USL Championship (Division II).
  • It is not an apples-to-apples replacement: The Krause plan included a Division II men's team and a Division I women's team. MLS NEXT Pro provides the men's component only.
  • There is no women's team in MLS NEXT Pro. Moving to that model therefore leaves out the Division I women's professional soccer opportunity entirely.
  • What is lost is bigger than a team: Des Moines could lose the opportunity to build a women’s sports ecosystem—professional athletes and coaches, front-office jobs, sponsorships, media, hospitality, youth development, events and local business activity.
  • It also means losing an experienced operator: Krause Group brought existing professional soccer operating experience and a plan designed to connect men's and women's soccer with stadium, development and community uses.
  • The timing matters: Women’s sports are growing now. Des Moines has already demonstrated that its market will respond to women’s sports, while the USL Super League is actively building its national footprint.
  • The red flag: If Des Moines moves forward with MLS NEXT Pro, women’s professional soccer isn't being replaced. Women are being left out of the next phase of Des Moines’ sports economy.


Des Moines has already shown that it can support women’s sports. The question is whether we are willing to build the infrastructure and business ecosystem around that demand. If we are, this is the moment to do it and not wait for another city to take the opportunity.