More than 47,000 attend in Wales as viewership and digital interest hit new highs
The 2025 AIG Women’s Open at Royal Porthcawl drew record-breaking crowds and audience figures, with over 47,000 fans attending across five days—making it the largest women’s sporting event ever held in Wales.
Families turned out in strong numbers, with nearly 2,500 children attending through The R&A’s ongoing “Kids go Free” initiative, aimed at boosting youth access to major events.
This year’s championship also set new benchmarks in TV and digital engagement. The opening two rounds achieved the highest-ever average UK audience for Thursday and Friday coverage on Sky Sports. Online, YouTube views more than doubled compared to 2024, and total hours watched rose by 93%. Social media interaction soared too, with Instagram recording its most active day on the Saturday of the event and a 221% increase in total impressions across platforms during the week.
Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, said the growth was a testament to the momentum behind the women’s game: “The AIG Women’s Open continues to gain strength as a major event in women’s sport. We’ve seen fantastic attendance, strong broadcast numbers and incredible digital engagement. It’s clear that fans are responding to the way we’re presenting the Championship and the players.”
Looking ahead, the 2026 AIG Women’s Open will be held at Royal Lytham & St Annes from 29 July to 2 August. More details, including ticket and hospitality information, are available at www.aigwomensopen.com.
