Women are already 51% of the public that consumes games in Brazil. Female participation began to increase, including in the game development industry: according to the Brazilian Games Industry Survey, in 2014 women accounted for 15% of the workforce at developers. In 2018, that number rose to 20%, and jumped to 29.8% in 2022. Even so, data on female participation in fantasy games is small.
The Women's Soccer World Cup, which starts today (20th), may bring opportunities for expanding this market, as a showcase for more women to be interested in this type of electronic game. According to data from the North American industry, in 2022, 33% of fantasy game players were women, data from the Fantasy Sport and Gaming Association - FSGA.
The Brazilian Association of Fantasy Sports (ABFS) believes that it is a good moment for the fantasy games market to invest in the female audience. “The number of women who play fantasy games is still shy if we look at the male audience and we know that electronic games are an area of great interest for the female audience in general,” explains Rafael Marcondes, president of ABFS.
"By encouraging the female public to explore the Fantasy Game, we provide positive changes for the entire sports industry and a growth vector for the sector in Brazil," completes Marcondes.
FIFA's benchmarking report covering women's football found that the number of women's leagues with main sponsors increased from 11 to 77% after 2021.
In addition to sponsorships, the number of competitions that guarantee broadcast revenue increased from nine to ten. This is a variable that tends to increase with the availability of more women's sports championships in the fantasy game, as these electronic sports increase engagement with the real-life championship. Players follow the performance of athletes and teams more closely to study the best tactics and score better in fantasy games.
In Australia, one of the venues for the Women's World Cup games, a fantasy game app dedicated exclusively to women's sports was created. In Brazil, some platforms already offer Women's World Cup games and the trend is to grow this market to become more attractive to consumers and new companies.
“The regulation of the market, which may happen with the approval of the Games Legal Framework, will open space for new companies to be created, including those focused on the growth of the female audience in Brazil,” explains Marcondes.
The Fantasy Game can help raise interest in women's sports, encourage engagement with the Women's World Cup and increase female athletes' visibility. The more people who show interest in what goes on in these championships, the more likely they are to follow what happens in the real world and in the virtual world.
Source: GMB
