Wsff Pushes For Further Women’s Sport Investment

On the eve of International Women’s Day, the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF) is launching a new campaign, ‘Say Yes to Success’ aiming to secure increases in both commercial investment for, and media coverage of, women’s sport.

Despite progress in the development of commercial partnerships in women’s cycling, football, netball and rowing, WSFF has revealed in its latest report – ‘Women’s Sport: Say Yes to Success’ – that since September 2011, women’s sport has accounted for 0.4% of the total value of reported UK sponsorship deals in sport.

In addition, whilst interest from television companies in covering more women’s sport is increasing, women’s sport makes up only 7% of all sports coverage in the media.

In more positive news, this week has seen Sky Sports back women’s golf for a further two years, and rugby, with yesterday’s renewal of rights for the Women’s Rugby World Cup. 

The campaign calls on sponsors, the media and sports to Say Yes to Success by pledging their support to the campaign on the WSFF website at http://www.wsff.org.uk/say-yes-to-success, and joining the Action Group to identify the key elements of successful commercial and media partnerships in women’s sport. 

Ruth Holdaway, CEO of the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation said: ‘Today we are launching our Say Yes to Success Campaign to build an exciting calendar of woman’s sporting events. This means strengthening existing events where possible, as well as creating new ones.’

‘On the pitch, in the pool, on the track and recently on the snow and ice in Sochi, women’s sport has had an incredibly successful couple of years.’

‘Women’s, cycling, football, netball and rowing have all shown that it is possible to create hugely popular and commercially viable women’s sports events and competitions. We have also seen BT Sport, the BBC and Sky Sports all take steps to cover more women’s sport. But the research is clear. With only 0.4% of commercial investment and 7% of media profile more needs to be done.’

‘We are urging sponsors, the media and sports to Say Yes to Success for women’s sport.’

Minister for Sport and Equalities, Helen Grant said: ‘Strengthening women’s sport in this country is one of my top priorities and I am right behind the ‘Say Yes to Success’ campaign. I want to see more women getting involved in sport at all levels – from the playing pitch to the boardroom. But to help with that ambition we also need greater involvement from the media, more companies to back women’s sport as sponsors and our fantastic female sport stars to be given greater prominence as role models.  Since London 2012 there have been some welcome moves that have put women’s sport higher up the agenda. But there is still much more that can be done.’

Simon Green, head of BT Sport, commented on why TV broadcasters are looking to cover women’s sport and how organisers of events can secure more coverage: ‘It is clear that women’s sport does have the power to excite and drive audiences if it is of the right standard and staged in the right way. Women’s sport also needs to create storylines and narratives to drive interest between the sporting contests.’