IBOPE Repucom's Women and Sports 2026 study puts gymnastics first among connected Brazilian women: 72% identify as fans, ahead of volleyball at 69%. The 2025 study had already documented more than 71 million fans across Brazil's connected adult population.
The scale of Brazil's engaged audience shows what demand for women's gymnastics looks like when one study measures fandom, athlete visibility and commercial behavior together.
The Data
The Women and Sports 2026 study cites Sponsorlink 2025 data for sports preferences and consumer behavior, with gymnastics fan growth measured from 2015 to 2025. Its Instagram snapshot is dated February 2026; the Rebeca Andrade CelebScore findings cite 2025 data. GIGA labels 2025 historical figures separately below.
In the 2026 findings, 72% women identify as gymnastics fans, compared with 69% for volleyball. Swimming, beach volleyball and football each reach 64%.
Most Popular Sports Among Brazilian Women
Female fans by sport (% total women)
Source: IBOPE Repucom, Women and Sports 2026; Sponsorlink 2025 data.
The earlier 2025 report shows that the scale extends beyond women. 61% of Brazil's connected adult population identified as gymnastics fans, representing more than 71 million people. In that report, the sport ranked third for concentration of highly interested "Super Fans," behind football and volleyball.
The 2026 report records 192% growth in gymnastics fans from 2015 to 2025. It identifies Rebeca Andrade as the principal force behind the sport's popularization in Brazil. The updated report does not provide a new absolute gymnastics fan count, so the 71 million figure above remains a historical baseline from the earlier study.
The 2026 report also documents broader growth in sports interest. Women's average interest across Brazil's 30 most popular sports increased 25% from 2020 to 2025, compared with 12% for men. The long-term growth in gymnastics fandom sits inside that wider shift in women's sports consumption.
Gymnasts Drive Audience Reach and Sponsor Value
The 2026 study extends beyond fandom into digital reach. All five Paris 2024 gymnastics medalists rank among Brazil's 15 most followed female athletes.
In the report's February 2026 Instagram snapshot, Rebeca Andrade ranked first at 9.9 million followers. Flávia Saraiva ranked third at 4.9 million, Júlia Soares sixth at 2.3 million, Jade Barbosa eighth at 1.9 million and Lorrane Oliveira eleventh at 1.7 million. These are the study's dated figures, not live follower counts.
The report's CelebScore findings, sourced to 2025 data, add another layer. Andrade holds the highest CelebScore among Brazilian female athletes, combining awareness and qualitative evaluation. Women rate her higher than men on 23 of 25 attributes.
The Brazilian Gymnastics Confederation case frames athletes as strategic assets for fan connection, sponsor prestige and the sport's growth. The 2026 report illustrates that value with 13 brands in Andrade's sponsor portfolio, including Itaú, Adidas and Volvo. Strong athlete brands can reinforce federation visibility, reputation and sponsor value.
That cycle is directly relevant to the professional opportunity: athlete storytelling, branded NIL, competition and fan-facing media can operate as interconnected commercial engines rather than separate businesses.
Current competition provides another view of that athlete value. Flávia Saraiva earned uneven bars and balance beam gold and floor exercise silver at the September 2026 Szombathely World Challenge Cup; Rebeca Andrade added balance beam silver and Lorrane Oliveira floor exercise bronze.
The Commercial Model Already Works Next Door
The 2025 IBOPE study provides a useful comparison: Brazil's Women's Volleyball Superliga. In that edition, volleyball led women's fandom at 70%, one percentage point ahead of gymnastics at 69%. The 2026 study puts gymnastics ahead. Volleyball already operates within a mature professional league structure.
These figures do not imply that a professional gymnastics property would immediately generate equivalent economics. They show what structured competition, sustained media exposure and sponsor inventory can unlock around a large Brazilian women's sports audience.
Gymnastics has more female fans than volleyball. Of Brazil's most followed female athlete accounts, 5 of the top 15 are gymnasts. While volleyball demonstrates the value of an established professional league, gymnastics represents an opportunity to build a year-round professional platform around even greater fan demand.
Women Drive The Growth
The 2026 study indicates women are increasingly central to the broader Brazilian sports economy. From 2020 to 2025, women represented 55% of the 32 million new physical activity participants. In total, 80% of connected Brazilians, or 106 million, reported doing some physical activity in the previous year, regardless of frequency.
Among those purchasing sports related products, women accounted for 49% and reported spending nearly the same amount as men on their most recent purchase: R$177 versus R$180.
Women's media behavior closely matches men's; 82% women have streamed live sports (vs. 88% men) and 83% used the internet while watching TV sports (86% men). Women show stronger affinity for social media and messaging during broadcasts.
Women form the majority of fans for two major upcoming events: the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil (51%) and the LA28 Olympics (53%).
The behavior matches the opportunity: a highly engaged audience moving across live competition, athlete content, social platforms and commerce.
The Commercial Opportunity
The 2026 findings put gymnastics first among connected Brazilian women at 72%, document 192% fan growth over a decade and show substantial athlete reach. The earlier 2025 report supplies a historical audience baseline and the adjacent volleyball league comparison.
An adjacent women's sport with nearly identical fandom already demonstrates what structured professional competition can generate for brands and media partners.
The demand is measured. The adjacent league model shows how sustained competition can create sponsor and media value. A year-round professional gymnastics platform could connect those assets.
GIGA is building toward that opportunity through a modern professional competition and fan platform designed to connect athletes, audiences, brands and media year-round.
Source: IBOPE Repucom, Women & Sports 2025, 2026
