Women's Super League icons including Leah Williamson, Alex Greenwood and Lauren James join forces as new research unveils the role of sports stars in inspiring young womenThursday 19 September 2024
Viviane Asseyi
Alex Greenwood
Leah Williamson
Lauren James
Maya Le Tissier
Taylor Hinds
Jessica Naz
Hayley Nolan
Janice Cayman
Maz Pacheco
Megan Finnigan
Poppy Pattinson
Viviane Asseyi
On the eve of the 2024/25 Women's Super League season, new research reveals the power of increased visibility of female athletes, as an overwhelming 88% agree that watching female athletes on TV inspires young women to participate in sports.
To celebrate the return of England's topflight of women's football, Sky Sports brought together one player from every WSL club for a star-studded shoot, with their outfits representing each athlete's personality and the intersection between fashion and football. The shoot is part of the Sky Sports Editions series which celebrates incredible women who are breaking barriers, setting records and inspiring fans to participate, watch and follow their sport.
The WSL Edition aims to put a spotlight on players from across the League, as new data commissioned by Sky Sports shows that nearly 70% of people see professional athletes as the most influential role models in sport for young women, showing the crucial role female footballers play in shaping the next generation.
The impact of female athletes goes far beyond the pitch too. According to the findings, more than three quarters (78%) believe female footballers are becoming more prominent in both celebrity culture and fashion. The fusion of football and fashion is broadening the sport's appeal, with players shaping trends and expanding the sport's cultural reach as 44% of 18-29-year-olds say they are likely to purchase a fashion item worn by a player.
Breaking down stereotypes has emerged as the leading reason for having role models in sport, with one fifth of respondents emphasising its importance, followed closely by the inspiration young women draw from seeing female athletes in action (19%), motivating them to take part in sports or physical activities themselves.
Alex Greenwood, Manchester City player and Lioness said, The WSL is an amazing league and to have each club represented at this shoot with Sky was great to see. Whilst we're on different teams, we are in it together to keep inspiring the fans & pushing the women's game forwards.
As the WSL kicks off, with players regularly featuring on screens again, respondents also make it clear that broadcast coverage is crucial in promoting female athletes, with 79% agreeing that TV plays a vital role in increasing visibility of sporting role models.
Jo Osborne, Head of Women's Sport at Sky Sports said, "At Sky Sports, we are dedicated to showcasing the exceptional talent in women's sports, not only to entertain, but to inspire fans and encourage greater participation especially amongst the next generation. Bringing all the Women's Super League clubs together for this shoot is the perfect way to kick off the season and build excitement for seeing these incredible players back on our screens this weekend."
This season the WSL returns to Sky Sports, starting with a blockbuster opener where Arsenal will host rivals Manchester City at Emirates Stadium, exclusively live on Sky Sports and streaming service NOW on Sunday 22 September. Coverage starts at 11:30am on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Showcase - available in all Sky homes and included in a NOW Entertainment Membership.
Days before the 2024/25 season kicks off, players that came together on set were: Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), Taylor Hinds (Liverpool), Jessica Naz (Tottenham Hotspur), Maz Pacheco (Aston Villa), Viviane Asseyi (West Ham United), Hayley Nolan (Crystal Palace), Megan Finnigan (Everton), Poppy Pattinson (Brighton & Hove Albion) and Janice Cayman (Leicester City).
About the surveyThis online survey of 2000 UK adults (nationally representative) was commissioned by Sky Sports and conducted by market research company Perspectus Global, in accordance with the Market Research Societys code of conduct. Data was collected between 15/08/2024 and 19/08/2014.
About SkySky is one of Europe's leading media and entertainment companies and is part of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology company that connects people to moments and experiences that matter. At Sky we Believe in Better. It's in our DNA.
About NOWNOW is the home of brilliant entertainment. We're one of the UK's leading streaming platforms with critically acclaimed shows, new and exclusive movies, unmissable sport and epic kids TV - all with our fully flexible Cancel Anytime memberships. Join in with an Entertainment, Cinema, Sports or Hayu Membership to stream instantly across TV, mobile, gaming consoles or desktop on over 60 devices. Watch on the go and offline with our app by downloading shows and movies.
Entertainment Members can enjoy critically acclaimed dramas, documentaries and comedies, Emmy award-winning shows, the best of HBO and exclusive Sky Originals. Cinema Members can discover over 1000 brilliant movies, from the latest blockbusters to classic favourites. Sports Members cheer on unmissable Premier League, international cricket, F1, golf and more - all live, across 12 Sky Sports channels.
Plus, members can enhance their experience with NOW Boost - that's ad-free streaming on up to 3 devices at once, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and full 1080p HD for an extra £6 a month.
For super-fast broadband, members can enjoy a contract-free connection with a NOW Brilliant Broadband, Fab Fibre or Super Fibre Membership.
Latest news
TikTok announces TikTok Aw
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/06/2026
RT has today announced Heineken 0.0 as the broadcast sponsor of their FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage.
The sponsorship, brokered by Dentsu, will see Heineken 0....
02/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
02/06/2026
Powerful new vocal-production tool announced
Described as a vocal performance station , Klevgrand's latest plug-in combines pitch-correction with harmo...
02/06/2026
Launched alongside Go Green sale extension
McDSP have just released the latest addition to their APB line-up, DC-2 Dual Compressor, and have also announced ...
02/06/2026
Create custom tools for Ableton Live 12 Suite
Ableton have just introduced a new open JavaScript toolkit that allows anyone to create their own custom tools...
02/06/2026
Now features full H90 algorithm library
Eventide have announced the upcoming launch of the H9 Harmonizer Gen 2, a new and improved version of their hugely p...
02/06/2026
Plus UAD Half Yearly Sale now live
The latest arrival to the Universal Audio range delivers a new native pitch-correction plug-in that's capable of deli...
02/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to present comprehensive performance, conformance and spectrum-m...
02/06/2026
BTL Laboratory becomes Taiwan's first test house with a CTIA Certification c...
02/06/2026
If you've kept up with this article series, you know by now where to start w...
02/06/2026
With new DSP configurations and flexible licensing options, Calrec is removing the barriers to virtualised audio, giving broadcasters the freedom to scale produ...
02/06/2026
02 Jun 2026
VEON Closes USD 1.4 Billion Bond Offering, Refinancing 2027 Notes A...
02/06/2026
Praise for series three:
The Times - sun-dappled pleasure
The Daily Mail - The Homes Counties' Charlie's Angels
The Sun - 4* this [is an] enjoya...
02/06/2026
Wuppertal June 2, 2026
Gudrun Scharler Appointed CEO of Riedel Networks The Riedel Group today announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel N...
02/06/2026
Trust has become a commercial issue With global advertising spend forecast to exceed US$1 trillion this year*, the commercial consequences of weak governance co...
02/06/2026
June sees Ireland's cultural calendar in full bloom, as RT Supporting the Arts showcases a vibrant and wide-ranging programme spanning music, theatre, visu...
02/06/2026
After The Traitors Ireland launched in 2025, Irish audiences proved to have a taste for the global hit reality show. This Bank Holiday Monday fans can indulge e...
01/06/2026
Category line-up & sponsors announced
Photo: Paul Clarke
The Production Music Awards (PMA) have announced that submissions are now officially open ahead of...
01/06/2026
New hybrid sample/synthesis instrument revealed
Excite Audio have just released the latest instalment in their Evolve series, which has been developed in co...
01/06/2026
Latest TONEX expansion captures three rare vintage amps
The newest addition to IK Multimedia's ever-growing TONEX line-up introduces a set of three incr...
01/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
01/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Satellite Industry Days 2026 guided by the motto From Earth to ...
01/06/2026
Luxembourg, June 1, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, launched fast and reliable multi-orbit satelli...
01/06/2026
Mardi 2 juin 14h00
FilmLight (ARRI), 10 rue Ren Boulanger, 75010 Paris
Rejoignez-nous pour d couvrir comment FLAPI (l'API FilmLight) peut transformer e...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
cetecom advanced certifies Rohde & Schwarz test solution for hybrid and Next Gen...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Genelec announces V2.1 for Aural ID binaural headphone monitoring application posted: 29/05/2026
Aural ID 2.1 enhances binaural monitoring for stereo and ...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
28/05/2026
Thomsons Climate Crisis Toolkit is already being put to work, helping journalist...
28/05/2026
A little refresh can go a long way. We've been making behind-the-scenes upda...
28/05/2026
Since early last year, our quarterly Creator Milestone Awards have celebrated podcasts from around the world that hit major streaming milestones on Spotify. Tod...
28/05/2026
New software-based MIDI multi-clock announced
Rapid Flow have just announced the launch of a new MIDI utility plug-in that aims to solve one of the most per...
28/05/2026
Company introduce most affordable interface yet
SSL's range of audio interfaces has just gained its latest, and smallest member, the SSL 1. Designed to ...
28/05/2026
New compact drum machine & sampler announced
The latest instrument from Sonicware sees the company kick off an all-new Deconstruct series with a compact dru...
28/05/2026
Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority modernizes nationwide ATC voice communications...
28/05/2026
Comscore Announces Appointment of Matt McLaughlin as Chief Executive OfficerJon Carpenter to remain as Senior Advisor to the Board and CEO
Global business lead...
28/05/2026
Wuppertal May 28, 2026
Berliner Ensemble Upgrades Backstage Infrastructure With Riedel Stage SystemsRiedel Communications today announced that Berliner Ensemb...
28/05/2026
Harmonic's Software-Based XOS Advanced Media Processor Powers Cost-Efficient 24/7 Channel Origination and Direct-to-Consumer Delivery
SAN JOSE, Calif. - M...
28/05/2026
RT presents Wild Conamara, a two-part natural history documentary that brings a...
Women's Super League icons including Leah Williamson, Alex Greenwood and Lauren James join forces as new research unveils the role of sports stars in inspiring young womenThursday 19 September 2024
