Women's Sport Trust

What Women's Sport Trust does

Women's Sport Trust (WST) is a UK-registered charity (number 1153429) founded in 2012 that operates as an independent research and advocacy organisation focused on increasing the visibility, viability, and commercial value of women's sport. The charity produces longitudinal research on audience reach, broadcast hours, and sponsorship outcomes, then uses that evidence to convene and influence decision-makers across sports governing bodies, broadcasters, brands, rights holders, and government sports bodies in the UK. Its core constituencies are the UK sports industry ecosystem, with secondary engagement directed at elite female athletes through the Unlocked leadership programme and broader public audiences reached through free public reports and earned media coverage.

WST's product portfolio comprises four interconnected components: (1) Visibility Reports — the flagship annual research publication tracking women's sport across broadcast, streaming, and digital platforms, with broadcast data sourced from GSIQ and social video data from Tubular Labs; (2) Inside Track — a paid research membership programme launched in February 2026 offering tiered access via a free public report and a paid Member Report providing expanded analysis and direct sector engagement; (3) Unlocked — an elite athlete leadership and development programme that has built a community of 111+ athlete alumni across 20+ sports, with a new 36-athlete cohort launched in November 2025; and (4) Campaigns — strategic advocacy initiatives including ShowUp with Sky Sports, England Hockey/Nielsen, and the O2/RFU England Women's Rugby visibility report. WST does not develop proprietary technology products; its differentiation rests on independent longitudinal data, cross-sport convening power, and brand recognition.

The charity operates a hybrid funding model comprising philanthropic donations, programme grants (notably the Jacobs Futura Foundation grant supporting Unlocked expansion in 2025), co-funded research partnerships with governing bodies (UK Sport, The FA, ECB, RFU), and the newly launched Inside Track subscription membership. Distribution is primarily digital (website, email newsletter, social channels) complemented by industry events and earned media through CEO Tammy Parlour MBE's public profile. The organisation is headquartered in London (75 Ravensbury Road, SW18 4RX), is registered as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales (852118), and its research has been cited as evidence for projections of £1bn in annual UK women's sport revenue by 2030.

Name

Women's Sport Trust

Legal name

Women's Sport Trust

Website

https://womenssporttrust.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women's Sport Trust is a UK-registered charity founded in 2012 that drives change in women's sport through longitudinal visibility research, advocacy campaigns, and the Unlocked athlete leadership programme, serving UK sports governing bodies, broadcasters, brands, and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Research & Advocacy

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Compliance, Governance & Integrity Services (Safeguarding, Anti-Doping, Match Integrity) (MPAKAKAM)

Keywords

• Women's sport research
• Sport visibility data
• Athlete leadership programmes
• Sports advocacy charity
• Sponsorship market intelligence

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Support: Women's Sport Trust is a registered charity (number 1153429) that relies on donations and philanthropic support to fund its operations and programmes.
2. Grants and Foundation Funding: The organization receives grant funding from foundations such as the Jacobs Futura Foundation to support specific programmes like the Unlocked athlete leadership initiative.
3. Research Membership (Inside Track): Women's Sport Trust launched Inside Track, a research membership programme where organizations from across the women's sport sector pay to access expanded research insights, dedicated member reports, and direct engagement with the research team.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Women's Sport Trust is a UK registered charity that produces longitudinal visibility research on women's sport across broadcast, streaming, and digital platforms; runs the Unlocked elite female athlete leadership and development programme; and offers the Inside Track research membership to sports industry organisations for direct engagement with its research team.

Product overview

Women's Sport Trust operates as a research and advocacy charity focused on driving change within women's sport. The organisation functions as a single integrated offering centred on research and visibility tracking, comprising four interconnected components: Visibility Reports (the core research product tracking women's sport across broadcast and digital), Inside Track (a research membership programme providing tiered access to findings), Unlocked (an elite athlete leadership and development programme), and Campaign initiatives (strategic advocacy programmes). The portfolio works together to provide evidence-based insight that supports decision-makers across media, brands, rights holders, and policymakers in advancing women's sport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Unlocked: Elite female athlete leadership and development programme empowering athletes to use their platforms and voices to create change in women's sport.
• Inside Track
• Visibility Report

Products and services

• Visibility Reports Annual research publications tracking women's sport visibility across broadcast, streaming, and digital platforms, including audience reach, viewing hours, and engagement metrics. Reports incorporate broadcast analysis from GSIQ and social media view data from Tubular Labs.
• Inside Track Research Membership Paid annual research membership providing organisations from across the women's sport sector with dedicated Member Reports offering expanded analysis and richer context behind headline findings, plus direct engagement opportunities with the WST research team.
• Unlocked Programme Elite female athlete leadership and development programme that empowers athletes to use their platforms, voices, and perspectives to create change and shape the future of women's sport. Operates through direct recruitment, in-person events, and personalised mentor-activator pairings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Women's sport reached 48 million UK viewers in 2025, the most-watched year on record.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sport EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSport England is a key strategic partner supporting Women's Sport Trust's work to increase visibility and investment in women's sport across England. The organization provides grant funding and collaborative support for visibility research initiatives.
• YouTubecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's Sport Trust partnered with YouTube in April 2026 to launch an exclusive five-month accelerator designed to support current Unlocked athletes and alumni in building their digital presence and personal brands. The partnership leverages YouTube's platform to amplify athlete voices.
• Squire Patton BoggsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSquire Patton Boggs hosted the Unlocked Athlete-Activator Matching Event in March 2026 at their London office, bringing athletes and activators together for the programme.
• Tammy ParlourcoreOthersTammy Parlour MBE serves as CEO, Co-founder, and Data Protection Officer of Women's Sport Trust. She is the primary contact for all data matters and a leading voice in the women's sport industry.
• UK SportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK Sport provided additional funding for research into women's sport fandom conducted with Two Circles, examining how to turn moments into habits for sustainable audience growth.
• The FAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Football Association co-funded research into women's sport fandom habits alongside UK Sport, ECB, and RFU to understand how to drive long-term fan engagement.
• ECBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngland and Wales Cricket Board co-funded research into women's sport fandom habits alongside UK Sport, The FA, and RFU.
• RFUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRugby Football Union partnered with O2 and WST to launch the UK's first-ever wearable report on England Women's Rugby visibility, part of a long-term study. RFU also co-funded broader women's sport fandom research.
• O2coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerO2 partnered with RFU and Women's Sport Trust to launch the UK's first-ever wearable report examining the gender awareness gap in rugby, delivering annual visibility reports for England Women's Rugby (Red Roses).
• Two CirclescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerData and insight agency that collaborated with WST on landmark research including 'Closing the Visibility Gap' and 'Turning Moments into Habits' studies, providing broadcast and commercial analysis of women's sport.
• GSIQcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSIQ provides broadcast analysis for WST's Visibility Reports, contributing data on viewing figures, streaming consumption, and audience engagement metrics.
• Scottish GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScottish Government co-supported the 'Shaping the Future' report examining women's sport visibility in Scotland and Wales, launched at the Scottish and Welsh Government Women's Sport Symposium in August 2025.
• Welsh GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWelsh Government co-supported the 'Shaping the Future' report examining women's sport visibility in Scotland and Wales, launched at the Scottish and Welsh Government Women's Sport Symposium in August 2025.
• ONSIDEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerONSIDE provided research support for the Consumer View report exploring how women's sport sponsorships resonate with fans and drive brand impact, analyzing 40 partnerships.
• Tubular LabsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTubular Labs provides social media video view data for WST visibility reports, including analysis of TikTok and Instagram performance for women's sport leagues and clubs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Sported: UK charity supporting community sport groups serving under-served young people. Adjacent as a UK sport-focused charity funded by Sport England and partners, operating a similar grant- and partnership-led model but focused on grassroots participation rather than women's visibility.
• Women in Football: UK charity supporting women working across the football industry through networking, development, and advocacy. Comparable as a women's sport-focused UK charity with advocacy and member engagement activities, though narrower to football rather than cross-sport.
• Common Goal: Global sport-for-development collective that pools philanthropic capital from athletes and partners to fund sport-led social impact. Comparable as a mission-driven sport organization leveraging athlete networks and partner funding, though focused on social impact rather than visibility research.

Others

• Level Playing Field: UK charity advocating for disability sport access and inclusion at live sports events. Operates in the same UK sport governance and Sport England ecosystem as WST and pursues similar advocacy and awareness-raising goals for an under-served sporting community.
• Sport England: UK government arm's-length body responsible for growing grassroots sport and distributing National Lottery and government funding. Functions as both a major WST funder/strategic partner and an ecosystem participant that shapes the broader UK women's sport policy environment.
• Women on Boards UK: UK not-for-profit campaigning for greater female representation on boards and in leadership across sectors including sport. Adjacent mission alignment on female leadership and visibility, and a potential partner for WST's post-athlete leadership work via Unlocked alumni.
• Two Circles: Global sport data and consumer insight agency that co-produces WST's flagship research ("Closing the Visibility Gap", "Turning Moments into Habits"). Comparable as a sport data/research provider and a partner, but operates on a commercial model serving rights holders and brands directly.

Direct peers

• Women in Sport: UK charity focused on increasing women's and girls' participation in sport, with adjacent research, advocacy, and policy work. Directly comparable as a UK women's sport charity operating in the same donor, partner, and policy ecosystem as WST.
• Women's Sports Foundation: US-based non-profit founded by Billie Jean King focused on advancing women's participation, leadership, and visibility in sport. Closest international peer — same advocacy, research, and athlete empowerment mandate but operating in the US market.

Broad incumbents

• Nielsen Sports: Global sports measurement and sponsorship analytics division of Nielsen, providing broadcast, attendance, and sponsorship data to rights holders and brands. Comparable as a broader incumbent that can supply sport visibility and audience measurement at greater scale but as part of a wider portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WomenSportTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/9200871
• Instagraminstagram.com/womensporttrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women's Sport Trust