Challenges of the WE League, the First Women’s Professional Football League:

Abstract

The WE League was founded in September 2021 as the first professional women’s football league, with 11 participating clubs. The WE League did not adopt a promotion/relegation system, but instead has a closed league system and, for the first time in East Asia, a fall/spring season schedule. The WE League has the mission of both growing the game of football and solving social issues, include gender equality and women’s empowerment. This study shows that the WE League has achieved a collective impact, in which stakeholders such as the league, clubs, players, marketing partners and media are connected by the strength of weak ties, enabling purpose-based management to support the growth and development of the league.

Keywords

• professional sports league
• business eco system
• women’s empowerment
• stakeholder