Women’s football is coming to life with the interest of over 60 international broadcast partners which made last years’ UEFA Women’s EURO the most watched Women’s EURO ever. 1 in 5 people across the world saw England’s Beth Mead and Alexandra Popp fight it out in the final between England and Germany.
So, can we finally ask, have spectators started to demand the coverage of women’s sports?
Sport broadcasting has been evolving rapidly since the 1960’s and it’s evolution has been witnessed in the growth of right holders who have acquired deals with major events, leagues and tournaments. Supply and demand and other global market forces are at play for sports just like any other global product. Men’s sport is seen as a better product than women’s sport forcing a skew in broadcasting, media’s engagement with teams, and prime time spots. Outside the coverage of major sporting events like the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup, coverage for women sport is less than 10%.
As consumers of the sport, we have the power to accelerate this changing dynamic as women sport becomes more appealing in consumption for fans and viewers and for commercial purposes. Nearly 70% of Australian’s now watch more women sport than they did before the global pandemic according to Foxtel’s research. The UEFA EURO coverage had a record aggregate attendance of 574875 fans for women’s sport doubling the previous record in Netherlands in 2017. Over 250 million people watched worldwide, overall earnings, particularly for the top ten highest-paid women, have seen a 23% increase since 2020, and sponsorship investments are predicted to grow annually by 146%.
Most recently, with the excitement around FIFA Women’s World Cup set to be hosted in Australia and New Zealand this year, Football Australia released that 20,000 tickets to the opening game of the World Cup sold out in just 45 minutes. The Matildas are set to kick off against Republic of Ireland on 20 August and the fans all geared up to capture the moment.
There is no denying the fact that popular demand has been in audiences viewing men sport, be it live or streamed. However, just like the UEFA EURO 2022, with more exposure of women sport there is widespread growth in innovative technology, fans, sponsorships, revenue and attendance. Undoubtedly there is a shift in the consumption of sport coverage which offers opportunities for investors, sporting organisations and athletes to benefit in broadcasting of women sport.