In 2023, the Chicago Red Stars had the lowest attendance in the National Women’s Soccer League, averaging just 4,848 fans per game. This humbling statistic is a glaring symptom of systemic disadvantage. While Chicago’s men’s teams boast stadiums on prime and accessible real estate, the Red Stars are forced to play in a leased space outside city limits, away from public transportation, nearly inaccessible to their fan base.
The Chicago Red Stars decided to level the playing field and went where a women’s team hadn’t been in 80 years. We took over the hallowed grounds of one of the most revered men’s stadiums: baseball’s Wrigley Field.
Across social, digital and OOH we launched our rallying cry urging Chicago’s fans to show up, witness history and support women’s sports. It worked. Garnering 2 billion earned media impressions along the way, The Red Stars Takeover brought in 35,038 fans to Wrigley Field—shattering NWSL attendance records and revolutionizing the conversation around women’s sports viewership.