A survey conducted by the Football Supporters' Association (FSA) has found that 90.7% of football fans want a dedicated slot for Women's football on TV.
The move for a dedicated broadcast slot for Women's football was first recommended by Karen Carney in her review of the women's game last year and supporters are now backing the former England international.
A dedicated broadcast slot would first and foremost remove uncertainty around kick-off times in the Women's Super League while it would also help to grow the game as it goes from strength to strength.
Managers and fans have frequently bemoaned late kick-off changes this season as broadcasters have tried to juggle women's fixtures with their other sporting contracts. For players and managers, this has meant at times just a two-day turnaround in between matches while for fans, it has meant travel plans and bookings becoming redundant.
FSA survey reveals more about women's football on TV
The FSA survey asked supporters more than just whether they would like a dedicated broadcast slot for women's football. It covered a wide range of issues relating to the women's game from refereeing to attendances.
In terms of broadcasting, fans believe the game has benefitted from the landmark deal the WSL signed with Sky and the BBC in 2021. 63% of fans surveyed say they are watching more women's football on TV than ever before while 71% said that the quality the broadcast is better than ever before.
Fans overwhelmingly want a dedicated TV slot for the women's game, and agree that TV has too much say in moving kick-off times, according to our latest survey of over 3,000 fans from the WSL, Championship and National League https://t.co/5Q6fz5CK0S
— The FSA (@WeAreTheFSA) May 22, 2024
However, it wasn't all positive. Only 31.6% of fans believe that women's football gets enough coverage on TV which suggests that more needs to be done in regards to promotion and advertisement. This figure is at least higher than the 26% that voted this way in the last FSA survey in 2022.
Deborah Dilworth, head of women’s football at the FSA, said: We will use the findings to support our work in advocating for supporters across all levels of the women’s game as we work with NewCo, the FA, government and other stakeholders in the game, to ensure their views are heard.”