Words by Sarah Butler
THE WOMEN BEHIND THE WORLD CUP
This round table sees five trailblazing women from the sports broadcast space share their experience of delivering one of the biggest events in women’s sport
has been dedicated to women’s sports. But now, given the increasing attendance, viewership, investment and engagement right across women’s sports, it’s hard to argue
he Fifa Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 (WWC) captured
against its growth potential. Women’s sports present an
both the hearts and minds of football fans across the globe. With a record- high 32 teams playing 64 games, the records continued to tumble in areas as diverse as ticket sales, broadcast figures and digital media data. Almost two million fans attended the tournament, exceeding expectations according to Fifa chief women’s football officer, Sarai Bareman. “This momentum is unstoppable,” she declares. “The numbers and data and everything about this World Cup have eclipsed 2019. We have witnessed record-breaking crowds, significant global broadcast audiences and staggering digital metrics, highlighting the global impact of this event.” Despite women making up approximately 40% of all participants in sports, only 4% of media coverage
investment that, like women athletes, may out-perform expectations and take centre field. Hiring women to work in sport presents an equally valuable (and untapped) investment to the industry, something that has been obvious for some time. However, relatively few companies have taken the sufficient steps to address this under-representation, particularly at more senior levels. Much has been spoken about the legacy of the WWC and the impact of role models on the pitch. But, it is equally important to recognise the women working in broadcast-related roles, and the role models they are creating for the next generation of female workers.
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