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The popularity of women’s sport is at an all-time high – but it is struggling to turn the increased interest into commercial returns and extended media coverage, according to a new report.

A team of leading figures including Baroness Grey-Thompson, sports minister Hugh Robertson and cricketer Clare Connor have all lent their support to the findings that reveal strong demand from UK sports fans for greater coverage of women’s sport.

Fifty per cent of sports fans say women’s sport is on the way up – considerably more than men’s (36 per cent). Forty four per cent believe the quality of women’s sport is much better than 10 years ago, 54 per cent feel women’s sport is just as exciting as men’s and 61 per cent of sports fans state that they would watch more women’s sport if it were televised.

Yet while the perception of women’s sport is high, this does not correlate with the levels of investment from the commercial sector via sponsorship and the report suggests brands are missing out on a captive and valuable market.

The report was published by the Commission on the Future of Women’s Sport. ‘PrimeTime: The Case for Commercial Investment in Women’s Sport’ highlights the opportunity for the commercial sector, rights holders, broadcasters and government to work together to capitalise on a market that has “great potential but remains under-leveraged”.

Robertson said: "Many of the international successes that British teams have enjoyed in the last few years have been down to women. Just last year, the England women’s cricket team and athlete Jessica Ennis became world champions, and our women’s football team were runners up in the European Championships.

“These successes should encourage more commercial sponsors to look to women’s sport. London 2012 gives us a fantastic opportunity to put sportswomen in the spotlight, inspiring millions of women and girls to get more active – and businesses can play a key part in helping us to achieve this.”

Chairman of the commission and former Paralympic athlete Grey-Thompson added: “I sincerely hope that the findings within our report act as a rallying call to all the stakeholders within British sport.

“While it is alarming to consider the lack of commercial investment and marketing that goes behind women’s sport at all levels, it is also clear that the sporting public want more content, so there is an attractive customer base out there for rights-holders and commercial brands to engage with.”