Six Years with Sky

As we mark the 6th year of Sky Sports supporting the Women’s Sport Collective, it feels like a good moment to celebrate some of the wider work Sky is doing in women’s sport that’s not always visible, but has real impact.

For a commercial broadcaster, whose income is built on subscribers, I think it’s remarkable how consistently Sky continues to invest in growing women’s sport, often making coverage free for audiences to watch.

A long-term commitment to netball, over more than 25 years, means fans can now watch top-quality Netball Super League games every weekend for free on Sky Sports YouTube. And just last week Sky announced a similar approach for this summer’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, with much of the coverage available free-to-view on YouTube and the Sky Sports app.

Sky has been investing in brilliant women’s sport documentaries too, including Danielle Sellwood’s powerful films about Melanie Barratt and Elise Christie. I’ve also been hugely grateful that Sky provided a platform for my own documentaries, ‘Game On’ and ‘Abbie Ward: A Bump in the Road’.

And behind the scenes, Sky is investing in programmes to improve school-age girls’ access to sport, undertaking influential research, and working with Francesca Brown’s Goals4Girls and Alessia Russo to help increase participation. Much of this work has been driven by Sky’s Group CEO Dana Strong CBE, who has such a personal commitment to the power of women’s sport to change lives.

All of this, alongside Sky’s continued support of women’s football, golf, boxing and more, was powerfully on display at last week’s Sky Sports Women’s Sport Showcase - a joyful night of celebration with so many working behind the scenes.

One of my highlights from the night, aside from seeing Hannah Hampton and the Sugababes, was comedian Suzi Ruffell welcoming Gareth Southgate, Stuart Broad and Jamie Redknapp to the room with the lovely reminder for us not to forget that men play sport too.