Women sports stars have greater opportunities through increased broadcast coverage of their sporting exploits, thanks to funding provided by the Australian Government.
In 2017-18, the total coverage for women’s sport, as well as niche and emerging sports, represented a 39 per cent increase in broadcast hours when compared to the 2016-17 financial year, thanks to federal funding.
As part of the 2017-18 Budget, the Government provided $30 million to Fox Sports over four years to broadcast under-represented sports.
The first report on the funding has been released today, showing Fox Sports broadcast more than 4,800 hours of content on women’s, niche and emerging sports, including about 1,600 live hours in 2017-18.
The Minister for Communications and the Arts, Senator Mitch Fifield, said the report exceeds expectations and shows the funding is making a real difference.
"This is an outstanding result for women’s and niche sports," he said.
"Many sports struggle to secure consistent broadcast coverage, but this data shows audiences want to see under-represented sports on our screens.
"Grants like these create possibilities for more sports to reach a wider audience, secure funding, and increase participation rates.
In addition to the funding, Fox Sports works closely with a range of sports bodies and rights holders to help them develop and become more commercially viable. For example, the WNBL’s partnership with Fox Sports led to the signing of a major naming rights partner
In 2018-19, Fox Sports will provide enhanced coverage of sports including all W-league soccer games, the inaugural Hockey Pro league, the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 cricket and the FIBA Women’s World Cup basketball.
