Why women in groups face a ‘collaboration penalty’ that solo female stars like Taylor Swift and Coco Gauff escape

Whether in sports, music or business, all-women teams earn less. Minnesota Lynx guard Renee Montgomery drives between Indiana Fever guards Layshia Clarendon, left, and Shenise Johnson at a WNBA game in Minneapolis. AP Photo/Stacy Bengs

When Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour became the highest-grossing concert tour of all time in 2024, hauling in more than US$2 billion, it was hailed as a breakthrough for women in music.

But Swift’s success, it turns out, didn’t translate into broader gains for female artists. A closer look at the list of top-earning tours shows a clear pattern: Among the top 27 highest-grossing tours ever, there are no all-women ensembles, while 14 are all-male.