Beyond the Pitch: How the Matildas Are Scoring Big in the Brand Arena
The roar of the crowd, the thrill of the game, and the glint of silverware – these are the traditional markers of sporting success. But for Australia’s beloved Matildas, a new era of triumph is unfolding, one that extends far beyond the final whistle. In the Australian sporting landscape, the Matildas are not just athletes; they are powerful brands, commanding significant commercial attention and forging lucrative partnerships that are reshaping the financial realities for women in sport.
Even as the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup loomed, a significant question mark hung over the young talent Mary Fowler. Returning from a nine-month layoff due to an ACL injury, her game time during the tournament was uncertain. Yet, this period of recovery did little to dim her commercial appeal. Businesses were lining up to associate themselves with the 23-year-old star, demonstrating the remarkable strength of her personal brand.
Fowler’s off-pitch ventures have proven so lucrative that her overall earnings likely eclipse those of her partner, NRL star Nathan Cleary, despite his significantly higher salary at the Penrith Panthers compared to her estimated earnings at Manchester City. Her endorsements are a constant presence, from pre-game advertisements to in-game reminders of her breakfast of choice – Weet-Bix – and her banking partner, CommBank. On social media, her Samsung phone is as visible as the adidas apparel she wears and the L’Oreal Paris makeup she promotes.
Beyond these high-profile endorsements, Fowler is actively cultivating her own intellectual property. She has authored three books: two for children and a young-adult memoir titled Bloom. Her influence has reached such heights that a Barbie doll has even been created in her likeness, a testament to her widespread appeal and the power of the Matildas’ collective brand.
The success of individual players like Fowler highlights the immense growth of the Matildas’ brand, particularly in the wake of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which Australia co-hosted. During that tournament, Fowler’s social media was a vibrant showcase of her on-field prowess. Post-tournament, these images evolved, seamlessly integrating paid partnerships, blurring the lines between athletic achievement and commercial endorsement.
This commercial phenomenon isn’t confined to Fowler. A stroll through the skincare aisle at major Australian supermarkets like Woolworths or Coles reveals a host of brand partners for other Matildas stars, including Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Mackenzie Arnold, and Katrina Gorry. The dairy aisle features a2 Milk, a sponsor for Catley and Amy Sayer, while the apparel section sees Bonds partnering not only with Matildas captain Sam Kerr but also with her young son, Jagger.
The promise of a home tournament, the Women’s Asian Cup, just a few years after the highly successful Women’s World Cup, created an exceptionally fertile environment for investment in the Matildas. Fiona Crawford, author of The Matilda Effect, notes that this sustained focus has ensured continued sponsor investment, ongoing media coverage, and a steady flow of resources from Football Australia and other stakeholders.
“And I think that was very deliberate because the danger could have been, like every other major tournament women’s sport generally has, that it’s great in the moment, but then everything goes away after that like a flash,” Crawford explains.
Crawford elaborates that the lower salary structures and prize money in women’s football necessitate players developing strong personal brands to supplement their incomes. Even though tournament prize money hasn’t seen a significant increase, despite record-breaking ticket sales, and Fowler may earn less from her club than her partner, she can bridge that financial gap through her brand partnerships.
“It always has been more than the sport because there hasn’t been money in the sport,” Crawford states. “You have to be remarkable because you can’t just be an athlete, you’ve got to be a well-rounded person, and I think people have really picked up on that. That’s why people are interested in [Mary Fowler] off the pitch. That’s why she’s getting offers to walk the catwalk or why they want to have a Barbie.”
With no immediate plans for another major home tournament and a growing number of Matildas playing their club football overseas, a pertinent question arises: can the team’s brand value continue its upward trajectory? There are whispers of doubt about whether the “Matildas mania” that captivated Australia post-World Cup still holds the same intensity.
However, Mark Crowe, managing director of Brand Finance, which valued the Matildas at an impressive $200 million after the 2023 World Cup, remains optimistic. He suggests that there’s no evidence to indicate that this valuation has plateaued, even if the current tournament hasn’t achieved sold-out status.
“We’ve certainly estimated twice in the last few years that women’s sport on a global basis is still undervalued relative to a number of men’s sports and club brands,” Crowe remarks. “So there’s still a lot of opportunity for the Matildas to exploit the brand and continue to grow.”
Sarah Walsh, Asian Cup chief operating officer and a former Matilda herself, echoes this sentiment. She cautions against solely measuring the Matildas’ success by stadium attendance, a metric that is rarely applied to men’s sports.
“If the Matildas are constantly measured by the success of only having full stadiums, it’s really dangerous because that’s never applied on men’s sport,” Walsh asserts. “It never is, and it never has been.”
The Matildas’ journey is a powerful illustration of how women’s sport is evolving, driven by athletic excellence, compelling personal narratives, and astute brand building. They are proving that success on the field is just one chapter in a much larger, and increasingly lucrative, story.
