Sportsister, the heartbeat of female sport in the UK, supports the latest report from the Commission on the Future of Women’s Sport which shows that women’s sport represents a great opportunity for switched-on investors.
As the leading media platform for women’s sport in the UK, Sportsister is delighted to offer its backing to the report.
A team of leading figures including Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE, Minister for Sport and the Olympics Hugh Robertson and Head of England Women’s Cricket Clare Connor have all leant their support to the findings that reveal strong demand from UK sports fans for greater coverage of women’s sport, but which also show that the commercial sport sector is failing to capitalise on the opportunities presented by this fast-growing and uncluttered market.
According to the findings 50% of sports fans say women’s sport is on the way up, considerably more so than men’s (36%). 44% believe the quality of women’s sport is much better than 10 years ago, 54% feel women’s sport is just as exciting as men’s and 61% of sports fans state that they would watch more women’s sport if it were televised.
Yet while the perception of women’s sport is high, this does not correlate with the levels of investment from the commercial sector via sponsorship and the report suggests brands are missing out on a captive and valuable market.
These are the findings of a ground breaking new report published by the Commission on the Future of Women’s Sport. ‘PrimeTime: The case for commercial investment in women’s sport’ highlights the opportunity for the commercial sector, rights holders, broadcasters and government to work together to capitalise on a market that has great potential but remains under leveraged.
Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the Olympics said: “Many of the international successes that British teams have enjoyed in the last few years have been down to women.
“Just last year the England women’s cricket team and athlete Jessica Ennis became world champions, and our women’s football team were runners up in the European Championships. These successes should encourage more commercial sponsors to look to women’s sport.
“London 2012 gives us a fantastic opportunity to put sportswomen in the spotlight, inspiring millions of women and girls to get more active - and businesses can play a key part in helping us to achieve this.”
Louise Hudson, editor and Sportsister co-founder said: “It’s fantastic to have some research that demonstrates just what a great opportunity the women’s sports market is for brands and investors alike, something that we here at Sportsister have been championing for some time. Let’s hope this is just the boost women’s sport needs to really see it grow.”
For further information: Please contact Louise Hudson or Danielle Sellwood on 01225 326 430 or [email protected] or [email protected].
Editor’s notes:
- Sportsister was launched in April 2008 by Louise Hudson and Danielle Sellwood.
- Since its launch Sportsister.com has established itself as the online home for women’s sport in the UK – attracting readers ranging from elite level athletes to those just discovering sport for the first time.
- Sportsister’s bi-monthly print magazine is distributed for free on request to events, retailers, gyms and sports clubs across the UK.
- Women’s sport has never been higher on the public agenda in the UK. Successes from female British Olympians and the England women’s cricket team, pressure from the government to engage women and girls in sport and the upcoming London 2012 Olympics are all ensuring that women’s sport is a highly topical issue.
Photo credit: istockphoto.com
