Fox Sports has released new research revealing the popularity of women’s sport has risen with 66% of Aussies having tuned in to watch women’s sport on TV. Of those who noted a change in viewership, 69% have increased their consumption of women’s sports since pre-pandemic.
Ahead of International Women’s Day 2022, the research shows amongst Aussies who admit their opinion of women’s sports had changed, 90% say it was in a positive way. The study found 72% of men are tuning in to women’s sport – across AFLW, NRLW, and WBBL, two-thirds of those watching are men.
Codes including Cricket, Australian Rules Football, and Netball were among the most popular accounting for 41% combined. The 2020 Women’s Cricket World Cup in Australia was the highest rating in Fox Sports history, with the final between Australia and India the #1 rating Women’s sports moment ever with an audience of over 450,000.
The Women’s Big Bash League also continues to go from strength to strength, with the 2020 final between the Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder the number one WBBL game ever with over 130,000 watching on Foxtel and Kayo. AFLW is also rising, with audiences in 2021 growing by 19% on 2019, with almost 130,000 watching Brisbane’s Grand Final victory over Adelaide, up 65% on the 2019 Grand Final.
The growth of media coverage around female sporting events and stars has become a leading driver of success with 56% of Aussies saying this resulted in a spike in viewing, while 49% say it increased due to dedicated broadcast coverage.
Foxtel Group chief content and commercial officer, Amanda Laing, said: “With more than 2.4 million sports subscribers across our brands, the Foxtel Group is passionate about giving Australia’s biggest women’s sports and the stellar athletes that front them a platform for growth. There is no doubt 2022 is going to be a year of radical transformation in popularity and participation.
“As women’s sport across different codes goes from strength to strength, it’s clear that Australians have a huge appetite for watching great sport regardless of whether it is being played by men or women. With greater exposure comes more fans, more sponsorship, and more attendance for the sports which we partner with, ultimately strengthening a sport by providing stronger revenue. The Foxtel Group is proud to be working to help deliver these benefits to women’s sport in Australia, broadcasting more than 4,700 hours of women’s sport across 15 different codes and 24 competitions, and this is just the beginning with more investment to come.”
The new research from Fox Sports coincides with Foxtel Group’s launch of Game Changer, a new annual report detailing progress in producing, televising, and building audiences for women’s and underrepresented sports in Australia, which will be released this week.