You may have already seen the headlines of the latest Women’s Sport Trust’s Visibility Report, which GSIQ helped to present this week.

The main takeaways are about unprecedented digital growth coupled with a decline in linear broadcast figures. But at GSIQ, our approach is to look beyond the headlines and provide clients with nuanced analysis.

Here are five observations that stood out to us at GSIQ in reviewing the latest WST Visibility Report:

TAKEAWAY 01

Making the most of the scheduling sweet spots

Although women’s sport performs well irrespective of what is going on, some slots are better than others. Broadcast data on the Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL) shows that matches shown by Sky during men’s international breaks attracted an audience that was nearly +40% higher, on average, than those shown during regular Premier League weeks.

Likewise, data from last season revealed that a Sky audience for Manchester United women’s games grew when the men’s team was not televised on the same weekend.

The influence of men’s football doesn’t look to be limited to the sport itself. The opening match of the Women’s Six Nations fell on a Premier League break. Its live peak audience was higher than that of the thrilling final round match which took place a month later, at the same kick-off time but with a clash with the FA Cup semi-final.

TAKEAWAY Planning fixtures around gaps in men’s sport isn’t always going to be possible. But knowing that these slots may deliver the biggest audiences means rightsholders and their partners can at least focus resources on them.

TAKEAWAY 02

The time for smaller sports to make their play is now

Mainstream women’s sports are dominating the British media landscape. While viewership for smaller sports has been low for the past few years, coverage for these sports is also showing signs of shrinking. Between them football, cricket, golf and rugby union account for 84% of all women’s sport coverage. That’s up from 67% in 2023.

TAKEAWAY There’s still time for sports like rugby league, netball, basketball and cycling to make their plays but assuming this trend continues it will become more difficult over time. That said, there’s still value in niches – the Women’s Boat Race is the most viewed women’s sport moment of the year so far.

TAKEAWAY 03

Capital dominance

There is some evidence of London beginning to exert its gravitational pull on women’s football culture.

Eight of the top ten most-watched BWSL games this season featured at least one team from the capital, with three of the top five being all-London affairs.

Perhaps that’s something to do with the influence that players from London teams have on social media. Of the ten players with the most Instagram engagements in the last year, seven are from London clubs.

TAKEAWAY Understanding the factors that make London clubs so compelling – even the obvious ones like population base – may provide some important insights as the league develops.

TAKEAWAY 04

Cornering the market on social

If marketers for women’s rugby don’t have a deliberate strategy of pointing their resources at TikTok, they certainly do a good impression of it. Between January and April, Red Roses players posted on TikTok more than members of any other England team in cricket, rugby union and football – men or women. As a result, over the same period, their views on the platform (6.7mn) were 72% higher than those of the men’s team. What’s more, ten Premiership Women’s Rugby players now make the list of the top 50 most viewed female athletes in the UK on TikTok so far this year, up from two last year.

The WSL also has a remarkable story to tell when it comes to the platform. Last season, the league’s teams saw more Instagram engagements than EFL teams, despite there being only half as many clubs.

TAKEAWAY Focusing on a single social platform and doing it well may yield better results than alternative approaches. Creating a critical mass of audience in one place is certainly of high value to sponsors and partners.

TAKEAWAY 05

Hitting the ring – it’s netball

Netball is the success story of the year. It can boast a +229% year-on-year increase in viewing hours, thanks to greater exposure on the BBC’s red button and Sky Sports Mix.

Attendances are also up 40% year-on-year, fed by an increase of over 500% in TikTok views and almost 50% in Insta engagements.

TAKEAWAY It’s possible for a sport to have a really standout year if it gets things right and that’s something that should give heart to those rightsholders looking to break in to the major leagues. An alignment of star athletes, broadcast and sponsor deals, compelling competition and savvy marketing can hit the spot, as it has done for netball this year.

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