The last 12 months have seen a remarkable year for women’s sport, with more people watching and engaging with female stars across different sports, which is also reflected in the viewership and coverage of women’s sport on Foxtel increasing.
Foxtel is the market leader in women’s sport and is looking to both cement and grow that position in the year ahead. The foundation for growth looks strong, as the overall audience of women’s sport viewers in Australia has increased by 18 per cent since 2022.
And that is great news for venues, particularly those sports bars with a family orientation, as you can look to show more women’s sport and attract more people, and different people into your venue.
While the Matildas won our hearts falling just short in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, when you look back on 2023 there have been some incredible moments on Foxtel that have helped drive this growth in engagement with women’s sport.
Australia’s women’s cricket team staked a claim to be the most dominant team ever across either women’s or men’s cricket. By claiming a sixth Women’s T20 World Cup with a win over South Africa in Cape Town, the Australian women’s cricket team ensured it has every trophy in the women’s international cricket game safely locked up in its trophy cabinet.
It was a dominant performance throughout the competition, with Australia winning all six of its matches, with the likes of Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy leading the way with the bat, and Ash Gardner and Megan Schutt dominating with the ball.
It was a similar story in netball with the Origin Diamonds winning the 2023 Netball World Cup title, although it was a tougher fight against an in-form England. England looked strong throughout the tournament, led by Eleanor Cardwell and Player of the Tournament Helen Housby, who both play in Australia’s Suncorp Super Netball competition.
After dominating New Zealand in the semi-final, and beating Australia earlier in the tournament, England went into the final as favourites but tough defence from the Diamonds and sharp shooting from Kiera Austin saw Australia claim its 12th World Cup, live on Foxtel.
Since the Netball World Cup the Origin Diamonds have been undefeated where they retained the Constellation Cup against New Zealand and made it two from two against South Africa.
This year saw the sixth professional season of women’s rugby league in Australia, with the NRLW expanded from six to 10 teams and Newcastle Knights looking to build on its first Premiership win the year before.
It proved to be a dominant year for the Knights, losing only once – to Brisbane in Round 2 – as the team went back-to-back, beating Gold Coast Titans in the Grand Final 24-12 in front of more than 40,000 fans and live on Foxtel.
It was another stand-out year for Knights full-back Tamika Upton, who after claiming the Karyn Murphy Medal for Best on Field in the 2022 Grand Final, went on to produce a stellar year winning a second Karyn Murphy and also winning the Dally M.
Sports fans also enjoyed another thrilling AFLW season, with Brisbane Lions sealing a Grand Final win over North Melbourne thanks to a final quarter brace from Dakota Davidson. The 7.2 (44) – 4.3 (27) win also saw Lions skipper Breanna Koenen named Best on Ground with 19 disposals and 11 tackles.
Brisbane fell agonisingly short of a double Grand Final win this year, with the Adelaide Strikers claiming a three-run win over Brisbane Heat in a thrilling WBBL final, which was also live on Foxtel.
Chasing Adelaide 5-125, Brisbane hit 8-122 in Saturday’s final at the Adelaide Oval, with Strikers’ bowlers Tahlia McGrath and Megan Schutt keeping the Heat run chase in check with 2-16 and 2-30 respectively.
Needing 13 off the final over a Heat win looked on the cards after Mikayla Hinkley hit a six in the final over, but on the next ball Hinkley fell just two metres short of a win as she was caught on the boundary by Jemma Barsby.
As the love of women’s sport continues to grow in Australia, Foxtel continues to build its studio of brilliant female pundits, with these being exciting times for women’s sport in Australia and Foxtel is at the forefront of the drive to make sport more inclusive and you can make your venue more inclusive as well.
Foxtel’s year-round live sports coverage is a vital tool for venues aiming to attract more customers, drive revenue and establish a loyal customer base. Sign up for a Foxtel Venues subscription today. Visit foxtel.com.au/venues or contact Foxtel Business on 1300 761 056.