WOMENS SPORT BUSINESS AWARD – GOVERNING BODIES & TEAMS
Arsenal Women’s Matches at Emirates Stadium – Arsenal Football Club
Ahead of the 2022/23 season, we implemented an integrated commercial approach to women’s football and adopted an insights-driven strategy to maximise attendances at Arsenal Women matches at Emirates Stadium Having announced plans to hold six games at the Emirates even before England’s Euro 2022 triumph, Arsenal Women eventually played eight matches at our main stadium last season, with results that far exceeded initial targets We set a new Barclays Women’s Super League record attendance of 47,367 against Tottenham Hotspur, and drew crowds in excess of 40,000 for all three WSL games at the Emirates last year We twice broke the UK record attendance in the Champions League, achieving a historic first sell-out of the Emirates for a women’s match in our semi-final against Wolfsburg on 1 May, with over 60,000 tickets sold With a supporter-first communications and marketing strategy, proactive ticketing campaigns and club-wide buy-in, we made a compelling case for women’s football and sold over 240,000 tickets in total The core pillar of our approach is a commitment to long-term, sustainable growth – and as such we have confirmed that Arsenal Women will play five WSL games at the Emirates in the 23/24 season, up from three last year
International Working Group on Women and Girls in Sport – UK Handover – Sport and Recreation Alliance
On behalf of the UK, and with the support of Sport England, UK Sport and central government – the Sport and Recreation Alliance successfully led the bid for the UK to become host of the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Girls in Sport.
The IWG on Women and Sport was formed in 1994 as one of the outcomes of the first World Conference on Women and Sport which was held in the UK in the city of Brighton and Hove.
Central to the UK’s bid was a pledge to ‘share’ and to learn from others through sharing This is indicative of the UK’s bid to: be inclusive of all cultures and identities; commit to mutual learning; and operate as global citizens with a collective responsibility to progress sport for women and girls in a way that is sustainable for the for the sport system and future generations.
In committing to ‘Share the Change’, the UK IWG Bid aimed to be provocative, to challenge
the status quo, to re-evaluate and reinvent how sport works, and harness the power of sport as a driver for social change and social equity.
PDC Women’s Series & Women’s World Matchplay – Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation’s commitment to women’s darts has seen the organisation continue to create further opportunities for female players alongside the opportunity to compete for unprecedented prize money of £265,000 in 2023, up from £125,000 in 2022.
Another year of growth for women’s darts within the PDC saw the expansion of the PDC Women’s Series, introduction of the Betfred Women’s World Matchplay and the provision of additional qualifying places for other PDC events.
The growth of professional women’s darts has been further accelerated by the expansion of the PDC Women’s Series from 20 events to 24 events in 2023, and with prize money doubled to £10,000 per tournament.
This has seen an impact in entry levels increasing to record numbers for 2023, while coverage from the PDC Women’s Series is broadcast live online to further enhance the profile of players competing on the tour to a global audience.
Alongside the events exclusively for women, players also continue to compete against male opponents throughout the year – a rarity in professional sport – with several competing at the 2023 Qualifying School and subsequently on the second-tier Challenge Tour and in Development Tour events, for players aged 16-23.
Pixellot and the FAI – Putting Women’s Sport on par with Mens’ – Football Association of Ireland (FAI)
The Football Association of Ireland, In an effort to increase exposure and improve the quality of women’s football, partnered with Pixellot, who specialize in AI-automated sports production and streaming solutions. Prior to 2021, women’s league games in Ireland were not broadcast due to high costs and uncertainty about the demand for women’s football. The FAI signed a contract with Pixellot whose technology captures and streams the action with professional production quality without the need for camera or production personnel.
Pixellot systems were installed at all 11 team fields in the Women’s premier league, allowing LOITV to stream all matches across the SSE Airtricity First Division and the SSE Airtricity Women’s National League for the 2021 season This decision to broadcast the games has revitalized women’s soccer in Ireland, attracting a growing fan base and generating positive synergies.
The change from no coverage to full streaming of all woman’s league soccer games behind a paywall is unheard of, especially within a 3-year time span Now, a paid season pass costs €120 for 440 men’s and women’s games.
Walking Football – The Walking Football Association
The impact that the WFA has had over the sport continues to be ambitious and far reaching, and is recognized by Sport England as being the most influential organization within Walking Football. Supporting the huge growth of the sport in all formats in a myriad of ways– mixed, women only, impairment and globally.
The sport is the fastest growing in the world and the WFA is made up of an entirely voluntary group of individuals who are making impressive progress to make the game more inclusive, more diverse, more visible and more accessible to women of all ages.
The WFA is indubitably making a significant impact on the growth of Women’s sport.
Women in Esports Initiative – British Esports Federation
The British Esports Federation’s Women in Esports initiative has demonstrated a remarkable impact on the growth and success of women in the esports industry. By supporting our submission for the Women’s Sport Business Award, you are endorsing an organisation that is making a tangible difference in promoting gender diversity and inclusion within competitive gaming. Our approach tackles the prevalent gender gap head-on, addressing challenges such as biases, limited role models, and misconceptions. Through educational campaigns, dedicated tournaments, workshops, and mentorship, we empower aspiring females and marginalised genders to pursue their passion and overcome existing barriers. We have created an inclusive and supportive environment that fosters the growth and success of women in esports.
The measurable impact speaks for itself. Female participation in esports has significantly increased at both amateur and professional levels. Our educational initiatives have reached thousands of students, boosting female representation within school and college esports clubs. We have secured partnerships, increased investment, and provided valuable networking opportunities for women within the esports industry.
Let’s recognise the achievements and potential of women in esports and shape a future where gender equality is the norm.
