Women’s Sports Is Changing The Sports Bar Game
The surge in women’s sports pushes bars and breweries to cater to female fans
In April 2022, Jenny Nguyen used her life savings to open The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon. Tired of bars that aired only men’s games, Nguyen created one that showed only women’s sports on her big-screen TVs. Jerseys and memorabilia from famous female athletes line the walls, and signature cocktails have names like “The GOAT” and “Title IX.” In its first eight months, The Sports Bra did close to $1 million in sales. Two years later, the 45-seat bar often has a line out the door.
Bar owners across the country are catching on. Jen Barnes opened Rough & Tumble Pub in Seattle. Jillian Hiscock opened A Bar of Their Own in Minneapolis. In April, Nguyen announced a partnership with Reddit co-founder (and Serena Williams’ husband) Alexis Ohanian to franchise The Sports Bra nationwide.
No word yet on whether they plan to bring The Sports Bra to Charlotte, but some local restaurants, bars, and breweries have begun to tap into this market. Patrons of Angry Ales, a popular sports bar on Montford Drive, have requested more women’s sports over the last few years, particularly the NCAA Tournament and the 2023 Women’s World Cup. “It’s not just women coming to watch women’s sports—there’s a good mix of men and women,” says manager Rich Lange. “Look at the stats on how much ESPN paid for the rights to women’s basketball. You’d be foolish not to evaluate how that works for you on a per-game basis and overall. It’s just a smart business decision.”
A study by Wasserman and ESPN Research last year found that women’s sports accounted for 15% of total sports media coverage in 2023, thanks mainly to streaming and social media—up from the long-assumed industry estimate of 4%. The 2023 Women’s World Cup drew more than 2 billion viewers and was the most attended in history. In 2024, ESPN set record viewership numbers for NCAA women’s basketball games, largely because of the University of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. Numbers like these prove that the world of sports is changing, which means sports bars must change, too.
Fifteen years ago, Lange says most customers would order a bucket of beer and some wings on game day. But as his crowd has evolved, so has his menu. “Women are generally a bit more sophisticated in their choices and like more creativity with drinks,” he says. “We’ve added simple things that catch momentum, like espresso martinis. A lot of spritzes and aperitif drinks are popular now, too.”
As the Kansas City Chiefs inched closer to Super Bowl LVIII in February, Angry Ales hosted a Swelce Brunch (a mash-up of “Swift” and “Kelce”—get it?) to attract more female fans. “I don’t access edible glitter for (Cleveland) Browns fans,” Lange says with a laugh. “But yeah, we tried to take advantage of the Taylor Swift momentum.”
In August, Carolina Ascent FC kicked off its inaugural season with HopFly Brewing Co. as its official craft beer partner. For HopFly owner Cameron Schulz, it was an easy decision to get behind Charlotte’s first professional women’s soccer team. “We’ve rallied behind Charlotte FC and done a lot to be a community space for FC supporters,” he says. “When we heard about the Ascent coming, we started banging on doors, asking how we could work together. We just wanted to support it and throw our weight around as much as we could. And my daughter is 1, so I’m like, ‘Yeah, let’s get behind women’s sports!’”
The brewery hosts watch parties and streams all away matches in its South End taproom. It’s also rolled out a themed beer called Our Time, with can artwork inspired by the meteoric rise of women’s sports. “It’s a crisp, light lager,” Schulz says, “so an easily enjoyable brew for just about anybody.” They serve it in the taproom and at American Legion Memorial Stadium during games. “I can’t give you any specific numbers,” he says, “but it’s definitely the most popular beverage coming out of the concession stands.”
As of late August, Schulz says the energy behind the Ascent games is on par with what he’s seen for Charlotte FC. “I think it’s a groundswell of excitement surrounding women’s sports,” he says. “Everyone’s got their playbooks on the hospitality side, so it might take a while to get folks focused on it. But I definitely think there’s opportunity there. We want to be a supporter and lead from the front. It’s not going to materialize if you don’t go after it.”
TAYLOR BOWLER is the lifestyle editor.
