Hi, I’m Isha, a massive sports fan. Women’s sports have my attention constantly—, I love watching it, talking about it, writing, creating content, and just being a part of such a welcoming community of fans. There’s something incredibly wonderful about women’s sports: the camaraderie, the energy, and the passion that brings us all together.
If you have been a regular women’s sports watcher in recent years, you know how hard it can be to occasionally even find where to watch. Sometimes you manage a dodgy stream, or a blurry video supported by a VPN, and other times, there’s simply no way to watch. I recall back in 2017, a friend (a devoted Arsenal women fan) set aside 15 minutes before an important game just dedicated to finding a livestream for it.
This lack of accessibility is perhaps unsurprising, considering that until 2019, women’s sports media coverage only made up 5% of all sports coverage. Media companies have often claimed that there is not enough demand to justify bidding for rights, even though research has shown that this demand has been underestimated. Take the 2023 Women’s World Cup: FIFA struggled to sell broadcast rights at the target price, letting major broadcasters score bargain deals despite growing interest.
But in spite of these ongoing challenges, the tide is turning. We are now witnessing a revolution in women’s sports broadcasting and viewership opportunities. This week, actress Whoopi Goldberg announced the launch of the first ever women’s sports channel, AWSN (All Women’s Sports Network), which seeks to be a home for live women’s sport from around the world. Their message: “If a woman is playing it, we’re showing it.” How incredible is that?
Meanwhile broadcast deals for women’s sport continue to soar. This July, the WNBA (Basketball) signed a “game changer” deal valued at $3.4 billion for the next 11 seasons. Two weeks ago, the Women’s Super League (Soccer) in England also inked a history-making broadcast deal, which will see almost every game shown live on TV for the first time. This approximately $196 million agreement also includes $68 million for high quality production costs, providing viewers with multiple angles and an enhanced viewing experience. Similarly, Football Australia’s August landmark deal with Paramount+ provides Matildas and A-League fans with “never before” access to matches. Disappearing are the days of dodgy streams. The momentum is undeniable.
And it’s not just on our screens. The expansion in viewership opportunities extends to physical venues too. In Sydney, we now have Australia’s first women’s sports bar, the Ladies League, which is dedicated to showing as much women’s sport as possible. A similar US-based women’s sports bar called ‘The Sports Bra’ generated almost $1 million in its inaugural year, showcasing the demand and interest in spaces for women’s sport.
Women’s sports are finally getting the spotlight they deserve, moving from obscurity to being broadcast on screens worldwide. This growth is only the beginning, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
All figures are in AUD.