Something unusual is happening with the Women's Super League. Japan has become one of its biggest international markets, and it's changing everything about how clubs think about fans and money.
Early in the season, Everton's marketing chief Aaron Duckmanton got an interesting email. Four of their Japanese players - Rion Ishikawa, Hikaru Kitagawa, Yūka Momiki, and Honoka Hayashi - were posting videos in Japanese on YouTube and TikTok. They were getting tens of thousands of views.
"We've got four young Japanese football players who are living together in the city of Liverpool and just having a great time," Duckmanton told The Athletic. "Let's embrace this and see where it goes."
The club jumped on board. Everton's training ground chefs started serving traditional Japanese food. The taste test videos went viral. Traffic from Japan to Everton's women's team pages jumped 33 percent.
But here's the real kicker - this isn't just about Everton. It's happening across the entire WSL.
The YouTube Effect
When the WSL moved non-broadcast games to YouTube last season, they discovered something amazing. For Everton's opener against Brighton, Japan made up 21 percent of viewers. The UK only had 40 percent.
For Manchester City versus West Ham in October 2024, it was even closer. Japan had 27 percent of viewers, the UK just 28 percent. These numbers caught everyone's attention, including broadcasters.
Japanese streaming service U-Next saw the YouTube data and immediately wanted in. They now carry WSL matches alongside the Premier League. The WSL showed them the audience already existed - they just needed to give them an official home.
Overall, 76 percent of WSL broadcast viewers last season came from outside the UK. But Japan stands out as particularly valuable. Outside the UK, only the United States has a bigger WSL fanbase.
For anyone betting on WSL matches, this matters. Clubs with Japanese players are seeing massive engagement spikes, which translates to better sponsorship deals and stronger financial positions. That stability helps teams keep their best players and compete at higher levels.
Why Japanese Players Are Game-Changers
The formula is simple: Japanese players attract Japanese fans. Fuka Nagano was the second most-requested name on Liverpool Women shirts last season, behind only local hero Missy Bo Kearns.
Manchester United's Hinata Miyazawa won the golden boot at the 2023 World Cup. Manchester City's Yui Hasegawa was their player of the year. These aren't bench warmers - they're stars.
Momiki explained the appeal: "In Japanese football history, almost no one has played at clubs such as Manchester City, United or Chelsea before. Most Japanese fans are really excited about this."
There are now 19 Japanese players in the WSL, compared to just eight total in the league's first 12 years. That's explosive growth driven by one thing - Japanese players want to test themselves in England's physical, high-level league.
Video game FIFA (now EA Sports FC) deserves credit too. The Ultimate Team feature lets players mix men's and women's teams, exposing millions of gamers to WSL stars. Those gamers are way more likely to buy merchandise and follow the league than regular fans.
Manchester City benefits from being part of the City Football Group, which includes Japan's Yokohama F. Marinos. That connection makes them the most popular WSL club in Japan.
The challenge now? Keeping fans engaged even after their favorite Japanese players move on. Everton saw their Colombian fanbase grow 4,000 percent overnight when they signed James Rodriguez for the men's team. But sustaining that interest requires building something deeper than player fandom.
For clubs, this Japanese connection opens revenue streams from merchandise, streaming subscriptions, and sponsorships. For Japan's domestic WE League, it's a talent drain - but one that raises the profile of Japanese women's football globally.
The bottom line: the WSL is becoming a truly global league, and Japan is leading the charge.
