Record viewing figures for a women’s football match are expected on Thursday for England’s crunch semi-final against the Netherlands in Euro 2017.
A peak audience of 3.3 million people tuned in to watch Sunday’s quarter-final against France – the biggest ever for women’s football – and broadcaster Channel 4 hopes more still will watch to see if the Lionesses can make it to the final.
Kelly Simmons, director of the national game and women’s football at the FA, said: “It’s been a unique summer for women’s sport. There are still a lot of people out there who haven’t seen top level women’s football, then they tune in [...] and are perhaps surprised by the level of the game and how strong and fit and quick those players are.”
The England v France game averaged about 2 million television viewers, twice the number of a typical Premier League game on Sky Sports or BT Sport. Higher figures for the women’s game is a trend echoed across the continent, with TV viewing figures for the Women’s European Championship up by 34% according to organisers UEFA.
Commissioning the tournament for Channel 4 wasn’t seen as a risk, said Stephen Lyle, the broadcaster’s sport commissioning editor. “We’re a sports mad nation, the British public love supporting their team but they also love a bit of success, if the national team is doing well we will get behind them,” he said.
After the 2015 World Cup, attendances in the Women’s Super League increased by 48%, and although that slowed last year attendances still grew by 5%. The FA is currently investing an annual £17.7m in the women’s game, with the aim of doubling attendances and the number of school girls playing football by 2020. It has already been a groundbreaking summer for women’s sport, with England’s cricketers winning the World Cup in thrilling, if nail-biting, fashion. Johanna Konta became the first female Briton to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon since 1978. In athletics, Hannah Cockcroft won a 10th world title at the World Para Athletic Championships, while all eyes will be on Laura Muir at the World Athletic Championships, as the Scot goes for gold in the 1,500m and 5,000m.
As for football, the FA hopes to capitalise on the publicity boost ahead of one of the biggest changes in the sport’s history. As of September, the season will shift from summer to winter, in an attempt to make English clubs more competitive in the women’s Champions League and international competitions.
Carrie Dunn, author of a book about the WSL and head of sports journalism at the University of East London, said: “I think we are starting to see that it’s just football, not women’s football. If you like it, watch it, it doesn’t matter if it’s played by a woman or a man.”
Ahead of Thursday’s semi-final, England find themselves in the uncommon position of being favourites, not just to win the match, but to hold the trophy aloft at the end. England knocked out third-ranked France thanks to a strike from Jodie Taylor, and favourites Germany were knocked out of the competition in a shock defeat against Denmark.
It won’t be easy, though. England will be without injured keeper Karen Bardsley and midfielder Jill Scott, who is ruled out because of suspension, and the Dutch will have the orange army behind them.
But the players, and all those involved in the women’s game, know that a final will mean more to the sport than just a chance at the trophy. Simmons said: “The players are acutely aware, as are we, that you don’t get many of these opportunities. We know we have to make the most of it.
“Everyone knows that there are potentially two very big games to go. If we can win them then the impact on the game will be huge.”
No pressure, England.