Charlotte O’Neill, Managing Director of Manchester City Women, oversees the club’s rise in women’s football. She discusses leveraging the men's team's credibility while carving out a distinct identity for the women's squad. O’Neill highlights the financial challenges in women’s football, including wage disparities and sustainable investment. The conversation also touches on the evolution of commercial partnerships and the importance of creating engaging matchday experiences to attract diverse audiences. She envisions a bright future for the team as they aim for consistent championships.
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insights INSIGHT
Equal Trophy Expectations for Women
Man City Women's expectations for trophies match that of the men's team.
Fans and club demand high performance despite challenges, reflecting professional parity.
insights INSIGHT
Sustained Success Demands More Than Talent
Buying top talent increases chances of success but sustainability requires investing in infrastructure and staffing.
Long-term dominance needs both financial muscle and comprehensive organizational support.
insights INSIGHT
Creating a Women-First Brand Identity
Women's football must develop a distinct brand separate from men's teams to serve unique fans.
About half of the women's fans follow both teams; half are women-only fans wanting a tailored product.
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Today we’re delighted to welcome Manchester City Women’s Director Charlotte O’Neill to the show. This is a part of the game we talk about a lot. The growth of women’s football has been in turbo over the last decade, both in the UK and beyond. Man City have been one of the clubs leading that charge, compiling a squad of world class talent with the facilities and infrastructure to deliver on a long term ambition, to be the best women’s team in the world.
But behind this is a broad range of both successes and major challenges to overcome. From developing female first brands with unique value propositions to being held to account for a lack of financial sustainability as the men’s game haemorrhages cash, there’s a real story to be told for what is going on behind the scenes as these teams evolve through their investment phase into legitimate standalone football brands with social and commercial firepower.
On today’s show we discuss:
Evolution of Man City Women:
When a women’s team is starting out, does it need to be able to leverage the brand and credibility of a strong men’s team to get ahead?
What has been the most important part of being a team in the City Football Group setup?
From foundation to legitimacy: how have the club developed both a trophy chasing team on the pitch supported by best in class infrastructure off it.
What are the biggest challenges about running a women’s team in the WSL?
Are the expectations placed on the women’s team similar to that of the men?
How an access to the leadership of Man City, such as Director of Football Txiki Begiristain, has benefited Charlotte and her team when it comes to football and business.
Creating a Proper Business:
”This assumption that women's football has to be sustainable from day dot really drives me mad”. What does it mean for the game to be in the ‘investment phase'?
Understanding who the fans are; who are the core group attracted to the matches and how to the compare to the ‘traditional’ City fan?
The rise of female first partnerships: how the women’s team and signing major brand deals with businesses looking to unlock and resonate with a new audience.
What are the key revenue streams that drive the team and how do they compare to the men’s business model.
To what extent does success on the pitch drive the success off it?
The Wider World of Women’s Football:
How does the WSL compare to other strong leagues in the US and Europe?
Are we attracting the top talent to come and play in the league and do the financial opportunities offered compete with salaries elsewhere?
Should we franchise women’s football? The balance between security and maintaining brand value with jeopardy and open football pyramids.
Where are the biggest opportunities for women’s football over the coming years?
Business of Sport