(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 09 SET - Women's football is no longer merely a cause to be supported for its values of inclusion, equal opportunities and empowerment, but a market capable of generating tangible commercial value. This is the picture painted by Marta Carissimi, head of the women's section at Genoa CFC, who spoke at the 35th Karpacz Economic Forum. "The real leap forward comes when women's football is no longer seen simply as something to support, but as a market worth investing in," explained Carissimi, highlighting the growth in viewership and, in parallel, in investment. The figures, she noted, confirm the trend: UEFA Women's EURO 2025 exceeded 500 million cumulative viewers worldwide, whilst sponsorship revenue grew by 150 per cent compared with 2022. In the English WSL, sponsorship and licensing generated £8.5 million in 2024, slightly more than the £8.4 million generated by broadcasting. In Spain, by contrast, sponsorship funds distributed to Liga F clubs rose from 320,000 euros in 2022/23 to 8.4 million in 2025/26. For Carissimi, the challenge now is to build independent commercial value for women's teams. "It doesn't necessarily mean separating them from the men's teams," she clarified, because belonging to a major club allows them to benefit from the brand, history, fan base, visibility and commercial infrastructure. The key, however, is to be able to measure the value actually generated by the women's team. According to the head of Genoa, the model can be flexible: sponsors of the entire club, partners with specific rights relating to the women's team, or companies dedicated exclusively to the team. This interest spans an increasingly diverse range of sectors, from technology to finance, from the automotive industry to sportswear, right through to food and retail. "Women's football," she concluded, "must be chosen not only for the values it represents, but for the tangible value it is capable of generating." (ANSA).