This week a new, free, ad-supported streaming television channel (also referred to as “FAST channels”) focussed solely on broadcasting women’s sports launched in Germany and Austria. This news follows the first women’s sport FAST channel made available in the latter half of last year by a US company in response to growing demands and in an effort to promote the women’s sports industry.

In the UK, viewership of women’s sports has increased significantly over the past few years. New research conducted by the Women’s Sport Trust and Futures Sport & Entertainment revealed that the average viewing time per person for women’s sport on TV increased by 131% last year. Despite the increase in demand, at present, women's sport still accounts for only 15% of total sports viewing hours on key channels.

Could platforms, such as FAST channels, exclusively dedicated to women’s sports be the answer to bridging the gap? The FAST model, as opposed to a subscription based or pay-per-view model, could result in a greater increase of viewership of women’s sports. Global revenues from FAST channels are also expected to triple between 2022 and 2027 to reach USD12bn. Given this trend, there is therefore an opportunity for both new and existing broadcasters to capitalise on this growth to meet the needs of the growing interest in women’s sports by establishing a presence in this growing market.

A multitude of initiatives and support will ultimately be required to make sizeable impact on reducing the disparity between men and women’s sports coverage. As the popularity in women’s sport continues to grow, we are hopeful that this will translate to an increase in visibility for women’s sports coverage across traditional channels and streaming platforms.