Written by AFC Toronto’s home opener match was characterized by great energy and a complete sell-out of BMO Field Stadium’s lower bowl (Waking The Red Staff, 2025). The crowds at this game demonstrated the immense support Toronto soccer fans have for the development of women’s sports, both locally and across the country. AFC Toronto has since relocated its home games to York Lions Stadium, which has a smaller capacity for spectators. This change, while possibly a strategic move to form a closer relationship with the fans and community, could also characterize a loss of momentum for women’s sports since the opening match.
To help the teams of the NSL gain lasting traction, it may be beneficial for them to further align themselves with their established male counterpart teams, such as Toronto FC and CF Montreal, for AFC Toronto and Montreal Impact, respectively. Additionally, these teams could further embed themselves into local sports organizations by forming partnerships with local school clubs, and female sports leagues can help them to grow long-term fan engagement and participation.
The success of the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) in the UK offers a helpful strategy. Many WSL teams share branding, stadiums, and resources with their Premier League counterparts, like Arsenal and Manchester City. In the 2022-2023 Women’s Super League season, revenues were seen to increase by 200% when teams began using their main stadiums for games and training sessions, suggesting that tapping into an existing fan base can create opportunities to grow women’s leagues more quickly and sustainably (Keogh, 2024). For the NSL, this could mean hosting matches at larger stadiums, offering ticket bundles with men’s matches, or collaborating on social media campaigns and sponsor partnerships. Sharing of sponsor partnerships and matchday operations can reduce the financial burden of NSL teams, making them more sustainable.
To further build a structured fanbase, NSL teams can work on forming deep-rooted community partnerships. Partnering with local schools, sports leagues, and women’s sports organizations could encourage young girls to participate in sports and provide more visible role models. These partnerships could include NSL teams running drills with elementary school female soccer teams or giving talks to players, where they discuss their pathway to professional sports. These partnerships can offer mutual support by converting young soccer players into young fans of NSL teams, encouraging them to view or attend games.
Attendance and viewership are challenges faced by women’s sports organizations compared with male leagues. While TFC regularly plays home games in a stadium with a maximum capacity of about 30,000 attendees, the York Lions Stadium is a smaller stadium. This discrepancy means that fewer individuals can support the teams, but it can also indicate a root issue of a lack of interest in women’s sporting events.
The establishment of the NSL is a huge step forward for women in sports, and it is important to acknowledge the magnitude of this step and the already existing support NSL teams are receiving from Canadian soccer fans; however, the NSL needs to continue to foster and encourage more support. This could be done by aligning themselves more closely with existing teams from male leagues and fostering community partnerships, which not only bring more fans but can further benefit women’s sports in the future.
Citation:
Keogh, E. (2024, June 19). Women’s Super League revenue up 50 percent in 2022-23 season. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/40389311/women-super-league-revenue-50-percent
Waking The Red Staff. (2025, April 17). AFC Toronto sell out inaugural game at BMO Field, will set new Northern Super League record. Waking The Red. https://wakingthered.com/2025/04/17/19435/afc-toronto-sell-out-inaugural-game-at-bmo-field-will-set-new-northern-super-league-record/