‘Right direction’: Women’s sports takes over

Women’s sports are now enjoying the recognition they’ve long deserved with AFLW player Éilish O’Dowd and WBBL cricketer Phoebe Litchfield among the athletes taking over the industry.

Move over boys, women’s sports are taking the spotlight.

Not only are women’s sports now enjoying the recognition they’ve long deserved - it’s also getting easier for fans to follow the big fixtures.

As part of that change, BINGE is introducing sports content to run alongside its entertainment and lifestyle content which kicked off with back-to-back grand finals in AFLW and WBBL last weekend.

AFLW player Éilish O’Dowd and WBBL cricketer Phoebe Litchfield are thrilled to see women’s sports finally getting their due attention.

Weekend Telegraph. 19, November, 2024. (Story- Women in Sport). Eilish O'Dowd (AFLW) Jerome Luai and Phoebe Litchfield (WBBL) at Henson Park, Marrickville, today. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“I think the standard in the last couple of years has improved so much … and I feel like the number of women’s sports fans is only increasing because the new generations of young girls and boys see it on TV and think it’s the norm so it’s only going in the right direction,” Litchfield, 21, told Confidential.

While Australia is making strides, O’Dowd, originally from Ireland, said her home country still lags behind.

“In Ireland I suppose there is still a very large gap between the male and female viewers and how it’s been promoted. Over here it is absolutely fantastic to see what it’s like to play as a professional athlete. It’s so different to back at home in Ireland and growing up I never thought that I’d have the opportunity to be able to play professionally and to see how athletes are treated, it’s a dream,” the 26-year-old explained.

Weekend Telegraph. 19, November, 2024. (Story- Women in Sport). Eilish O'Dowd (AFLW) Jerome Luai and Phoebe Litchfield (WBBL) at Henson Park, Marrickville, today. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Four-time NRL premiership winner Jarome Luai, a father to two young daughters, Halo and Akira, is excited for the future of women’s sports.

“I sort of want to see them in sport so it’s amazing they will have a pathway where they can be recognised, but it’s also awesome to see the game grow in general for women”, Luai told Confidential.

“There’s a lot of talent out there and I think just for the world in general it’s just good to see.”

BINGE will offer subscribers more than 3,000 On Demand hours and a 24/7 dedicated LifeStyle channel, more live news channels from major local and global outlets, and live music channels.

Originally published as ‘Right direction’: Women’s sports takes over