In the UK, major international women’s sporting events such as the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the Solheim Cup (golf) and England cricket, in contrast to the low numbers at women’s domestic competitions, are increasingly attracting spectators.
Between January 1 and October 22, 2023, viewers watched an average of nearly ten hours of matches. The Solheim Cup reached a new milestone with 9.5 million hours watched in 2023, beating the previous record of 6.3 million in 2021, while achieving the highest average live audience for an all-women’s sporting event on pay TV.
England’s women’s cricketers also achieved record viewing figures for the English summer, with 7.4 million viewers for three minutes or more, surpassing the previous record of 6.2 million. The Women’s Rugby World Series between the Red Roses and Canada, despite not being shown by broadcasters, has garnered over 234,000 views online on Facebook and YouTube.
In 2023, average viewership of Women’s Hundreds was down 15.5% from the inaugural season, but viewing time was up 14.2% year-over-year.
The increase was most notable in major women’s sporting events, however, a 20.5% drop in average viewers year-on-year for the WSL on Sky shows that it still has a long way to go for women’s sports broadcasts. So much appeal.
Jane Austen is a writer and contributor covering culture, literature, lifestyle, and society. Her work focuses on thoughtful storytelling, social trends, and the issues shaping everyday life, delivering engaging and accessible content for readers across the United Kingdom.
