Almost half of Brits wish there were more women’s sport on TV
Almost half of Brits wish there were more women’s sport coverage on TV – that’s according to new research.
This is despite viewership and fandom of women’s sports skyrocketing in recent years, thanks to sporting success for England’s national teams and increased coverage on TV.
This uptick sees many fans frequently tuning in, with over a quarter (27%) actively seeking out women’s sport weekly, while one in five (20%) of 18–34-year-olds do so every day, according to recent research by LG. This rings particularly true in the capital, with Londoners the most committed as two in five (40%) seek out female sports content weekly.
The younger generations are the most loyal fans and want to see even more from their favourite sportswomen, with almost three quarters (72%) of 25–34-year-olds sharing they wish women’s sport was more widely covered on TV. For those over 45, their kids are taking an educational role in women’s sport engagement. Nearly a quarter (22%) claim that their children introduced them to women’s sport for the first time.
To discuss the upcoming summer of sport, former England goalkeeper and media pundit, Rachel Brown-Finnis, sat down with two of England’s most loved sporting teams, the Lionesses and Red Roses. Lioness captain Leah Williamson and teammates, Anna Moorhouse and Jess Carter, were joined by Red Roses, Ellie Kildunne, Sadia Kabeya and Lucy Packer, to reflect on some of the nation’s most memorable sporting TV moments and the importance of visibility.
Sharing her thoughts on the value of visibility, Leah Williamson said, I think it’s so important that the boys see us, and they see it as normal that we’re on the telly and that we’re doing the same thing that they want to do. While goalkeeper, Anna Moorhouse, added, It’s just great to have everything more accessible. When I was growing up, you couldn’t really watch it on TV, women’s sport, it was once in a blue moon, now it’s every weekend.
Presented by Brown-Finnis, in partnership with LG, the group reflected on the development and support that has shaped women’s football and rugby into the globally watched sports they are today. Red Roses Fullback Ellie Kildunne said: “As a Red Roses team, we’re playing and they’re inspired by us. It’s really cool and its definitely just the start, I think there’s so much more we can do to grow.”
Fan support from across the country will be inspiring the Red Roses and the Lionesses this summer and Brown-Finnis agrees: “We will be cheering on the Red Roses this summer, we’ll be cheering on the Lionesses – good luck for an amazing summer of sport.”
James Thomas, senior product manager for Media Solutions at LG Electronics UK, added: “It was great to catch up with members of the Lionesses and Red Roses at St George's Park recently, as part of our ongoing partnership with The FA and the RFU. LG’s All In Pledge encourages people to engage and watch women's sport, whilst helping the nation get closer to the action with LG OLED TVs. Watching women’s sports helps grow the game and inspires new players to pick up the sport themselves, as watching changes everything.
“LG’s leading technology provides an unmatched immersive sporting atmosphere for football and rugby fans this summer. This is thanks to our TV’s incredible OLED picture quality and Motion Pro technology for the smoothest action possible and unbelievable soundbar surround sound to bring the stadium feeling home.”
Red Roses player Sadia Kabeya knows how important watching women’s sports is for future players, and said: “The uptake over the past couple of years has been amazing and I think, I never watched rugby growing up and some of these girls are coming because they’ve seen it on TV…and that being the reason people are taking up the sport is really cool.”
Lioness Jess Carter said: “It’s incredible now that you can watch so much women’s sport on TV. Luckily, I’ve been able to get on it and hopefully other people have been enjoying watching myself and my team play.”
Members of the two England women's teams caught up with LG at St George's Park recently as part of the leading TV manufacturer’s ongoing partnership with The FA and the RFU. The LG All In Pledge encourages people to engage and watch women's sport. Together we can grow support through fandom and audience numbers to inspire new players to pick up the sport themselves, as watching changes everything. For more information, go to www.lgwomens-sportpledge.com