Women’s sport "is back on television and booming on the back of a World Cup soccer tournament that rejuvenated broadcaster enthusiasm," according to Michael Bodey of THE AUSTRALIAN.
The year after the ABC abandoned its coverage of women’s football, basketball and other local sports, and months after the Australian Sports Commission noted only 8.7% of TV sports news coverage "was devoted to women’s sports, a number of high-profile events are recalibrating expectations."
The Netball World Cup broadcast on Network Ten and Fox Sports "follows the Matildas’ successful run" to the quarter-finals of the football World Cup and precedes the telecast of eight women’s Big Bash cricket matches on Ten next summer.
Football Federation Australia Head of Community & Women's Football Emma Hywood said that broadcasters "no longer see women’s sport as something they 'should do.'" She added, "Now it’s not being seen as the right thing to do but as a commercial thing to do." Ten Head of Sport David Barham said that there "has been a change in atmosphere with a number of sports," including the Australian Football League, all pushing their women’s game. Netball Australia CEO Kate Palmer agreed “there’s a momentum growing for women’s sport generally." Palmer: "We’ve found Fox Sports and Ten in particular wanted to be a partner. We didn’t feel like we had to battle or beg. They understand the value proposition. They want us and have been incredibly supportive" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 8/10).
