Twenty-three percent "of the supporters at Premier League games last season were women," up from 19% in the '08-09 campaign, according to Claire Jones of the FINANCIAL TIMES. In the German Bundesliga the figure is 27% -- up from 18% two years ago -- while more than 40% of the TV audience for games of the national World Cup winning side "are female." With Premier League clubs often charging in excess of £50 ($76) for tickets and Sky billing its customers for £25 ($37) a month to add sports channels to TV packages, "women’s interest in the sport is far more lucrative now." Clubs "have increasingly tried to appeal to women." But many "have scored own goals" with their core female support in the process, "who view attempts to sell them pink scarves and rosé as crass to women who have been attending games for decades." Kat Law, a fan of Tottenham, said, "I don’t want to wear a pink scarf, I want to wear a Spurs scarf. We’re not going to football to wear frills." Clubs argue that "pitching their merchandise at women has appeal beyond the core support." They view it as in line with the model of U.S. sports teams, "which have much higher female attendances and have made much more blatant attempts to appeal to this audience." Man City Dir of Retail & Licensing Serena Gosling said that a Nike clothes line aimed at women, unveiled at an event at the club’s stadium replete with champagne and cocktails, "sold out within the first week." However, "it would be a mistake to lump all female fans together, just as it would be with men." She said, "There are a lot of different groups of female fans. It’s offensive to suggest all female fans want to be treated in the same way" (FT, 5/3).
