Women's Super League down on TV, attendance up

Coverage of the Women’s Super League "has seen a significant drop in viewership" in the early weeks of the season, according to figures from the Women’s Sport Trust. The opening 10 matches broadcast across the BBC and Sky Sports "have seen viewing hours fall" 25.8% in comparison to the same number of matches at the start of last season, "although there has been a decline in the length of coverage and one fewer BBC match so far." The BBC has experienced what the trust describes as a "slight increase in average audiences," but Sky’s average audiences "have been particularly badly affected," dropping 20.5% year-on-year. On the other hand, match-going fan numbers have increased, with Aston Villa, Bristol City and Arsenal (over 54,000) "among those to break their WSL attendance records" (London TIMES, 11/2).