WE LEAGUE - Japan Women Empowerment Professional Football League

What WE LEAGUE - Japan Women Empowerment Professional Football League does

WE League is Japan's first professional women's football league, operated as a General Incorporated Association (公益社団法人) under co-organization with the Japan Football Association (JFA). Founded in 2020/2021 and headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, the league runs a 12-club home-and-away double round-robin competition across 22 matchdays, producing 132 league matches per season, alongside a separate cup competition (the Kracie Cup) of 41 matches. Core products include the league competition itself, the Kracie Cup, the WE League Data Site (data.weleague.jp) for statistics, mobile apps on iOS and Android, the WE ACTION social initiative organized around diversity/gender, education/health, and community contribution pillars, and the annual WE League Awards ceremony.

Name

WE LEAGUE - Japan Women Empowerment Professional Football League

Legal name

公益社団法人日本女子プロサッカーリーグ

Website

https://weleague.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WE League operates Japan's first professional women's football league, organizing 12-club home-and-away competitions (132 matches/season) plus the Kracie Cup and distributing via DAZN streaming and Pia ticketing across Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Women's Football League

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB), National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

Keywords

• Women's professional football
• Professional sports league
• Sports broadcasting rights
• Sports sponsorship marketing
• Women empowerment sports

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Broadcasting Rights: Live streaming of all league matches via DAZN (official broadcasting partner). The league also operates its own streaming service for cup matches (WE League Kracie Cup TV powered by Easy Sports).
2. Sponsorship & Partnership: The league generates revenue through multiple sponsorship tiers: title partner (SOMPO), league cup title partner (Kracie), silver partners, official equipment partners, broadcasting partners, and media partners. Partners include beads international (x-girl), Molten, Pia Corporation, Yomiuri Shimbun, DAZN Japan, and the National Shinkin Bank Association.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WE League operates Japan's first professional women's football league, organizing a 12-club home-and-away competition (22 matchdays, 132 league matches per season) plus a separate cup tournament (WE League Kracie Cup with 41 matches). The league distributes matches via DAZN streaming and stadium attendance, supported by a tiered sponsorship structure, with companion offerings including a statistics data site, a social initiative (WE ACTION), and an annual awards ceremony.

Product overview

WE League is Japan’s first professional women’s football league offering a comprehensive ecosystem centered on the core league competition with 12 teams playing 132 matches annually in a home-and-away format. The product portfolio includes the WE League Kracie Cup as the league cup tournament, the WE League Data Site for statistics and analytics, and the WE ACTION initiative for social empowerment activities. Additional offerings include the WE League Awards ceremony and enhanced Match of the Week broadcasts. The league operates through official partnerships with DAZN for streaming, WE League Ticket (Pia) for ticketing, and Easy Sports for cup match delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WE ACTION: The league's social initiative promoting diversity, gender equality, education, health, and community contribution through three pillars: 'Diversity & Gender', 'Education & Health', and 'Community Contribution'.
• WE League Kracie Cup
• WE League Awards

Products and services

• WE League (League Competition)
• WE League Kracie Cup
• WE League Data Site
• WE ACTION
• WE League Awards
• WE League Ticket

Quantifiable outcome

• Record annual attendance of 337,290 in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• パーソルホールディングス株式会社 (PERSOL Holdings)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 December 2025PERSOL Holdings is a WE ACTION partner. The partnership focuses on 'hataraku Well-being' (working well-being) improvement projects, conducting surveys and analysis of work well-being among WE League and club personnel, with the goal of improving motivation, engagement, and performance.
• クラシエ株式会社 (Kracie Co., Ltd.)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerKracie Co., Ltd. is the title partner for the WE League Cup competition (WE League Kracie Cup). The partnership was renewed for the 2025/26 season. Kracie is a consumer goods company specializing in toiletries, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food products.
• DAZN Japan Investment合同会社coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDAZN Japan is the official broadcasting partner for the WE League. DAZN provides live streaming of all league matches and cup competition coverage, and sponsors the MVP award with a 55-inch 4K OLED TV.
• 株式会社 beads international (x-girl)coreGTM or Marketing Partnerbeads international operates the x-girl fashion brand. x-girl is a silver partner of the league and provides merchandise gift certificates for award winners. The x-girl × WE League collaboration brand is also active, including merchandise and apparel partnerships.
• 株式会社西原商会minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNishihara Shokai is a silver partner of the WE League, providing corporate sponsorship support.
• 株式会社モルテン (Molten Corporation)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMolten is the official equipment partner of the WE League, providing official match balls. Molten also sponsors the Fair Play Award with 100,000 yen prize and 100,000 yen worth of Molten products.
• ぴあ株式会社coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPia Corporation is the official ticketing partner of the WE League, operating the WE League ticket platform for match ticket sales.
• 株式会社読売新聞東京本社coreGTM or Marketing PartnerYomiuri Shimbun Tokyo Head Office is the official media partner of the WE League, providing media coverage and press relations support for the league.
• 全国信用金庫協会minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Shinkin Bank Association is a WE ACTION partner, supporting the league's social initiative and community programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Liga MX Femenil: Mexico's professional women's football league; comparable as a national women's professional football league tied to men's club infrastructure, sharing similar professionalization trajectory.
• Liga F (Spain): Spain's top-tier professional women's football league; comparable as a national women's professional football league with club-based structure and broadcast-driven monetization.
• A-League Women: Australia's top-tier professional women's football league; comparable as a national women's professional league in an Asia-Pacific market with broadcast and sponsorship-driven revenue.
• Nadeshiko League: Japan's predecessor/amateur women's football league; directly comparable as a Japan-based women's football competition ecosystem, though WE League represents the professionalization of the category Nadeshiko historically served.
• National Women's Soccer League (NWSL): US professional women's soccer league operating a similar league-operator model with multiple clubs, broadcasting partners, and sponsorships; the most commercially mature direct comparable globally.
• Première Ligue (France): France's top-tier professional women's football league; comparable as a European national women's professional football league with similar club and federation governance structures.
• Frauen-Bundesliga: Germany's top-tier professional women's football league; comparable as a European national women's professional football league with established broadcast and sponsorship relationships.
• Women's Super League (WSL): England's top-tier professional women's football league; comparable as a national women's professional football league with club-based structure, broadcast deals, and growing attendance/sponsorship base.

Others

• Japan Football Association (JFA): Parent-sanctioning body and co-organizer of WE League; relevant as the governing federation that oversees professional football structure in Japan and shapes league governance.

Broad incumbents

• J.League: Japan's top-tier professional men's football league; structurally analogous league operator with similar governance, broadcasting, and sponsorship models, and a direct distribution partner via the J.League Ticket platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/we_league_jp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCp4d48-EN9WQRmfX9YQjIA
• Instagraminstagram.com/we_league
• TikToktiktok.com/@weleague
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weleague

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries12 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 WE LEAGUE - Japan Women Empowerment Professional Football League