The number of bars in the United States dedicated to showcasing women’s sports is expected to increase significantly this year, with the total set to quadruple from six to about two dozen by the end of 2025. These specialized venues, dedicated to providing a welcoming atmosphere for fans of women’s sports, have opened in cities across the country, from major metropolises like New York and Chicago to smaller cities like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Omaha.
Three women’s sports bars have already opened this year, with 14 more expected to launch in the coming months, according to an NBC News analysis. Two of the new venues celebrated their grand openings this past week — Title 9 Sports Grill in Phoenix and 1972 Women’s Sports Pub in Austin, Texas. Another, Set the Bar, is set to debut Friday in Omaha, Nebraska, just in time for the first round of the Women’s March Madness basketball tournament.
Molly Huyck, owner of Set the Bar, said she was inspired to open her venue after visiting The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, which is widely recognized as the United States’ first women’s sports bar. After reading about The Sports Bra and visiting Seattle’s Rough & Tumble, Huyck felt the need to create a space that was truly welcoming for women’s sports fans. “The vibe that I feel when I go into other sports bars is dark and uninviting,” Huyck explained. “At Set the Bar, I want to create an environment where everyone feels welcome, where women’s sports are celebrated, and where people can come together to enjoy the game.”
Set the Bar owner Molly Huyck, right, with her late sister, Kelsey, and Creighton University mascot Billy Bluejay at a women’s basketball game in Omaha, Neb., in 2018. Photo: Molly Huyck
The surge in women’s sports bars reflects a larger trend in the increasing popularity of women’s sports. Recent years have seen dramatic growth in both viewership and interest. For instance, in 2023, the University of Nebraska volleyball team played in front of more than 92,000 fans in Memorial Stadium, setting a record for the largest crowd at a women’s sporting event. Additionally, the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball championship game between South Carolina and Iowa became the most-watched basketball game — including both men’s and women’s college and professional games — since 2019, with 18.9 million viewers.
Several other women’s sports have also seen spikes in viewership. In 2023, the National Women’s Soccer League signed a four-year, $240 million TV deal, and the Professional Women’s Hockey League reached over 100,000 YouTube subscribers in its debut season. Furthermore, last year, the rematch between boxing champions Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano was the most-watched women’s sporting event in U.S. history, with over 74 million viewers globally streaming the fight on Netflix.
The women’s sports bar trend began with The Sports Bra, which opened in Portland in April 2022. The bar quickly gained attention for its focus on women’s sports and its inclusive environment. Owner Jenny Nguyen announced plans to franchise the brand in 2023, with Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and husband of tennis legend Serena Williams, pledging financial support for the expansion. Though The Sports Bra is still finalizing its franchise plans, interest in opening new locations has been high, with several bar owners citing it as inspiration.
Among those influenced by The Sports Bra is Jax Diener, owner of Watch Me! Sports Bar in Long Beach, California. Diener had dreamed of opening her own sports bar for nearly three decades and was inspired to focus specifically on women’s sports after seeing the growing interest in female athletes. “I wanted to create a place where everyone, regardless of gender, can feel like they belong and have a good time watching sports,” she said. Diener and her wife, Emme Eddy, opened Watch Me! ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Despite facing doubts from many, the bar’s grand opening was a success, proving that the demand for women’s sports-focused spaces was real.
Jax Diener and Emme Eddy opened Watch Me! Sports Bar in Long Beach, Calif., in July. Photo: Jax Diener
However, opening a women’s sports bar has not been without challenges. Many owners of these bars have had to rely on crowdfunding or personal savings to get their businesses off the ground. For example, Diener and Eddy raised about $27,000 through crowdfunding, though it wasn’t enough to fully fund the bar. Other owners, such as Monica Brady and Rachel Glenn, who plan to open The Dub in Kansas City, Missouri, have faced similar financial obstacles, with Brady noting that banks are often reluctant to provide loans to first-time or female queer bar owners.
Despite these challenges, the owners are determined to create inclusive, welcoming spaces that reflect the growing importance of women’s sports. “We want to ensure that everyone feels welcome, especially the LGBTQ community, which many of us are a part of,” said Brady. Many of the owners also emphasize the importance of creating spaces that feel more inviting than traditional sports bars, with lighter, more colorful designs and unique offerings like mocktails and local craft beers.
The owners are passionate about their bars becoming hubs of excitement and community. Annie Weaver and Miranda Spencer, who opened The 99ers Sports Bar in Denver, noted the joy of seeing their bar packed during major women’s sports events. “The energy when the place is standing-room-only is indescribable,” said Weaver. “It’s amazing to see people come together to celebrate women’s sports.”
As the number of women’s sports bars continues to rise, these venues are helping to reshape the landscape of sports fandom in the U.S., providing spaces where fans of women’s sports can connect, celebrate, and feel at home. “We need more of these bars all over the country,” said Weaver. “Everyone deserves a place like this.”
