WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA? - NO WOMEN'S FOOTBALL FROM SKY SPORTS

Sky Sports' new channel's slogan;
"Your new home of European Football"
But still no women's football.








As Sky launches a new sports channel, there's still no place for more women's sport.

Sky are hailing their new sports channel as their latest "big idea". BBC and BT have both picked up WSL coverage as women's football's popularity increases further. The BBC also cover more England games but, Sky have decided not to follow suit and instead, have opted to launch a seventh sports channel to cover more men's football from outside the UK. Sky already broadcast football from all over Europe and the new Sky Sports 5 channel will be dedicated to men's football from Europe. Sky's only contribution to the women's game is their Sportswomen programme on their dumper channel, Sky Sports 4. Even this programme is a general look at women's sport as a whole and not dedicated to a particular game unlike their coverage of men's sports.

Sky Sports Big Idea

Women's football is the most played women's equivalent of any sport in Britain and yet Sky gives more coverage each to women's golf, cricket, athletics and tennis than even the mention of women's football. Sky's "Big Idea" looks like an exclusion of women playing sport. Why? Does Richard Scudamore run things at Sky Sports? How can Sky justify airing seven sports channels with no place for women's football?

Of course, us being us, we contacted Sky about this oversight and we've had no reply. This is not the first time we've contacted Sky over women's football. Previously Sky has told us that there's not enough interest in the sport to justify investing. Since our first email, Sky has launched their Sports Women

programme profiling women in sport on their flagship sports channel, Sky Sports 4, where you can also watch European football. We know exactly why Sky have decided to launch a new Sky Sports channel, BT Sport. Our friends at BT have challenged Sky over TV rights for sports traditionally covered by Sky but, BT have also added some that Sky just refuse to air. BT Sport is women's football's biggest source of TV coverage, airing live WSL matches.

Sky just simply remain at the back of the pack when it comes to the women's game and their prehistoric attitude doesn't look like changing soon.

You can get BT Sport and ESPN on Sky TV or Virgin Media for an additional cost as it is not included in the sports packages or, free* with BT Broadband.
*BT terms and conditions apply and BT reserve the right to withdraw the offer at any time.



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