April 29, 2025

Charlotte O’Neill, Manchester City Women Managing Director, ‘Why Is Women’s Football Expected To Be Profitable When Men’s Football Isn’t!?’

58 minutes

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?

A huge thanks to our partner:

Orreco

https://www.orreco.com/

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By Charlie and Harry Stebbings

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