WSL gets TV audience boost with Sky Sports football director revealing higher than anticipated viewing figures

WOMEN’S Super League match coverage is pulling in more than 120,000 watchers per game on Sky Sports this season.

Its audience reach peaked during Manchester City vs Tottenham last September with around 550,000 viewers tuning in.

Manchester City’s WSL duel with Tottenham is thought to have attracted more than half a million viewers on Sky SportsCredit: Getty

Last June, the channel committed to exclusively air at least 35 games live as part of a landmark broadcast deal which commenced at the start of this season.

Sky Sports’ director of football Gary Hughes revealed viewing figures for coverage of top tier clashes had been “dramatically up” on what was expected in its first term as a WSL broadcast partner.

Speaking at this year’s Sports Pro Live event, Hughes said: “Our audience is up dramatically from what we anticipated and what it was on pay TV last year.

“I think our average is around 125,000 a game — I think that’s up around 175% per cent.

“I believe our reach is around six million which I think is around a 200% increase.

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“Our peak audience was for Manchester City vs Tottenham back in September where we got around 550,000 people watching.

“Audience figures have been really good, but our intention is to grow the game.

“What we always set out to do was the position (the) WSL alongside our other leading rights as a premium right alongside our Premier League rights as well.

“We gave it the full Sky Sports treatment. What I mean by that is the look and feel of our studio and our production values in terms of the number of cameras.

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“We’d like to think that we’ve got the best pundits talking about the game.

“We’ve got huge reach across our digital platforms; we’ve got Sky Sports News which is 24/7. So (we’re) really focussed on the power of promoting the game.”

Kick-off times have occasionally been a bugbear for some WSL match-going fans.

This term a few have taking to social media to comment on clashes between games involving top tier men’s and women’s sides.

On kick-off times and TV coverage, Hughes said: “(In terms of) kick-off slots, that is something we will continue to talk about.

The WSL is reportedly on course to become the fourth most-watched domestic sports competition in the UKCredit: Alamy

“It was about finding the right time for the matches, and we’ve not stumbled but we’ve come across an evening kick-off time (on a Sunday evening) that inherits the audience of Super Sunday which is huge.

“You’re taking a big Sky Sports football audience into the women’s game.”

Sky’s and BBC Sport’s broadcast coverage of WSL matches are a part of a three-year TV deal worth £24million.

It is thought to be the biggest commercial agreement in women’s football history.

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Last November a study carried out by Nielsen Sports data analysts revealed the league could be on course to attract an audience of 14.5million in the UK

This figure would see England’s top women’s football division become the nation’s fourth most-watched domestic league.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk

WSL gets TV audience boost with Sky Sports football director revealing higher than anticipated viewing figures

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