It has been some few days for Women’s sport across the world and closer to home.
Yesterday news emerged of a new 10 year broadcast deal between the Women’s Tennis Association and Perform. Worth a record smashing $525 million this more than doubles the current broadcast value for the Women’s game and will see live coverage via a variety of channels and methods of distribution of all 2,000 main draw singles matches played throughout each year.
“This is a game-changing and historic moment for our fans and for women’s sport,” said WTA CEO Stacey Allaster.
At the same time in Dubai the Ladies European Tour in Golf was announcing a similar ten year sponsorship deal with Omega.
The swiss based watch manufacturer will be the official timekeeper, sponsor the Rookie of the Year award and extend it’s title sponsorship of the season finale in Dubai.
It has also evened up the number of personal endorsement deals it has with 18 year old Charley Hull joining Michelle Wie and Stacey Lewis alongside Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Greg Norman on the men’s side.
Back in Ireland this week has seen two breakthrough appointments with Roisin Jordan of Tyrone last night elected to become the first ever women to Chair a County board in the GAA, and Helen O’Reilly appointed to be the first woman on the National panel of referees in Irish rugby.
BT Sport broadcast a live show of it’s Action Sports Woman of the year last night and even Her.ie, not previously having shown any great commitment to women’s sport is running a public vote for Sportswomen of the year.
Women in Sport and the enormous potential it still has for commercial partners will be a core focus of Sport for Business into 2015 when we will be encouraging and enabling some further major breakthroughs.
Image Credits: Omega and Inpho.ie
