Nearly a quarter of men now say that they watch and follow more women's sport than they did 18 months ago. Those asked about the media coverage said it was more important than ever to help women's sport gain better viewing figures and more coverage that is accessible.
The pandemic has been incredible for women's sports in some ways, with the figures growing in terms of public interest as days go on, Sky Sports and Leaders in Sport report.
Football is one of the sports at the higher end of the scale that is gaining a lot of interest, with the Women's Super League now in a deal with the BBC and Sky Sports to broadcast the games this season, and for 2 seasons after this too, hopefully with contract renewal by the end. The WSL is now worth £8,000,000, believed to be the most expensive women's football league in the world.
Jonathan Licht, managing director of Sky Sports, said: "This report shows that women's sport is again prospering and is overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic. It's fantastic to see from this data that its recovery has been bolstered by an increased appetite from the public."
The coverage of the Hundred, a cricket tournament, alongside the WSL and various other sporting events, such as Emma Radacanu's amazing win at the US Open, has really boosted the viewing platform for women's sport over the pandemic, and now 24% of men now follow more women's sport than they did 18 months ago!
Many people who were surveyed about the rise of women's sport have admitted that they learned more through social media and advertising, which shows the importance of technology now and in the near future. They also believe that there should be equality in the advertisement of both men's and women's sport.
There's plenty of work still to be done to achieve parity within sports, but it's nice to see that we're taking a step in the right direction to head for equality.
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