Sarah Nurse Says Social Platforms Helped Build the PWHL's Audience
The Vancouver forward told Digiday that players' personal followings brought fans to the league, and that she now runs her content with a manager and a weekly strategy.
Sarah Nurse says the PWHL's early growth was tied to players' own social platforms, and that she treats content as a real job rather than a hobby.
Speaking to Digiday for a piece published Friday on how women athletes are adopting the creator playbook, the Canadian Olympian said the league leaned on existing player audiences from the start. "When we started the league, it really benefited everyone that some of the players had existing platforms and that we could use those platforms to promote what we were doing and bring in audiences," Nurse said. "It's not lost on me that social media has allowed me and the rest of the league to connect with so many hockey fans and bring fans into games."
Nurse said she has met influencers and PWHL fans at games who found the league through her beauty content on TikTok and Instagram. She works with a manager on strategy: brand pillars, a content calendar built around her playing schedule, weekly idea swaps and a review of channel data heading into the rest of the year after launching a YouTube channel this summer.
The numbers in the report back up the platform argument. The PWHL reported a 77 percent year over year increase in YouTube viewership, and Deloitte projected in April that elite women's sports will reach $3 billion in matchday, broadcast and commercial revenue this year, up 25 percent.
Nurse is under contract with the Vancouver Goldeneyes through 2027-28. The PWHL will grow from eight to 12 teams for 2026-27, adding Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas and San Jose; all 12 teams open training camp Nov. 18.
