Sky Sports Extends Women’s Sport Coverage
Sky Sports has expanded its backing of women’s sport with three announcements, including a new three-year deal with England Netball, an exclusive partnership with the Sportswomen of the Year Awards and a new 30 minute ‘Sportswomen’ programme featuring news and analysis from women’s sport.
Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: ‘Women’s sport is thriving and these announcements reinforce our unrivalled commitment on screen and off. Our involvement in the Sportswomen of the Year Awards will continue to allow us to champion and support exceptional sporting talent.’
‘Sky Sports is watched by six million women every month and we already show women’s sport across more than 200 days of our calendar. Bringing more world class netball and our own bespoke Sportswomen programme to our schedule will add even more content for our viewers.’
The new partnership with England Netball will see Sky Sports cover all 12 rounds of the Netball Superleague and all home international fixtures. Live coverage started on Sunday with the first of three England International fixtures against South Africa, before the Netball Superleague season, early next year, featuring all eight franchises from England and Wales.
The channel will also back The Sunday Times and Sky Sports Sportswomen of the Year Awards. Last year’s Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year was Sky Sports’ Ambassador Jessica Ennis-Hill, the London 2012 Olympic heptathlon champion.
Finally, a new programme ‘Sportswomen’ launches on Sky Sports News on Tuesday at 10.30am. Sportswomen will cover all of the latest news, views and analysis and feature interviews with athletes and respected figures from the world of sport. Hayley McQueen will be joined for the first show by former England football manager, Hope Powell.
The programme will complement Sky Sports’ existing coverage of women sports, which this year has included the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, conclusion of the triumphant 2013 Women’s Ashes series, the victorious Solheim Cup win and England’s Super League Netball series win over Australia, US Open tennis and international netball.
