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...
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...
08/05/2026
One-button synth generates random four-track ideas
Cyma Forma and French artist Bambounou have announced RND synth, a compact hardware synthesizer built aro...
08/05/2026
Portable four-layer granular and sampling instrument
Tasty Chips have announced the GR-2, a new granular synthesizer and sampling instrument that combines e...
08/05/2026
Video Show Report
Video of SUPERBOOTH 26: Polyend Drums
Polyends big announcement for Superbooth 2026 is the Drums, a new drum machine that features both ...
08/05/2026
Deal agreed as NI enters new chapter
Native Instruments CEO Nick Williams has announced that a definitive agreement has been signed for the company to be ac...
08/05/2026
Video Show Report
Video of SUPERBOOTH 26: Erica Bullfrog Drums
The Bullfrog Drums is the latest collaboration between Erica Synths and Richie Hawtin, and ...
08/05/2026
In our latest blog, Tim Pearson reflects on the recent launch of Play Snooker, the new digital home of snooker by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker A...
08/05/2026
Pete reunites with Dogs Trust for a fourth series and a two-part overseas special
London, Friday 8th May 2026: The award winning factual entertainment series P...
08/05/2026
Wuppertal May 8, 2026
Riedel to Support Glasgow 2026 as Official Connectivity Integration Provider Riedel Communications today announced its return as a spons...
08/05/2026
ICG is excited to share news of our official launch in Northern Ireland, marking a significant milestone in the agency's growth.
Led by Digital Marketing M...
08/05/2026
Over the past ten years, Thames Water, in partnership with Arqiva, has installed more than 1.2 million smart meters, creating one of the most extensive advanced...
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
January 8, 2024
Colorfront (colorfront.com), a leader in high-performance, on-s...
07/05/2026
February 9, 2024
Colorfront (colorfront.com), the multi-award-winning pioneer i...
07/05/2026
March 20, 2024
NAB 2024, Las Vegas - Colorfront (colorfront.com), the multi-awa...
07/05/2026
April 1, 2025
CINEMACON, APRIL 1, 2025 - Colorfront (colorfront.com), the multi-award-winning developer of high-performance dailies/transcoding/streaming syste...
07/05/2026
June 15, 2025
Colorfront (colorfront.com), an Academy and Emmy Award-winning de...
07/05/2026
June 15, 2025
Colorfront participated in the ICTA Barcelona Cinema Technology Summit on Sunday, June 15, 2025. Held at The Phenomena Experience, the event feat...
07/05/2026
July 1, 2025
Colorfront (colorfront.com), the multi-award-winning developer of high-performance dailies/transcoding/streaming systems for motion pictures, OTT,...
07/05/2026
July 1, 2025
Passion and dedication will take you places. Come with us on a short trip to the heart of India, where Annapurna Studios is living-up to the inspi...
07/05/2026
July 3, 2025
Colorfront (colorfront.com), the multi-award-winning developer of high-performance dailies/transcoding/streaming systems for motion pictures, OTT,...
07/05/2026
September 1, 2025
IBC 2025, Amsterdam - Colorfront (colorfront.com) - the Acade...
07/05/2026
April 17, 2026
LOS ANGELES - April 17, 2026 - Colorfront today announced Colorf...
07/05/2026
April 23, 2026
NAB 2026, Las Vegas - the Academy and Emmy Award-winning develop...
07/05/2026
Comscore to Announce First Quarter 2026 Financial ResultsRESTON, Va., May 7, 2026 - Comscore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, transacting a...
07/05/2026
Thursday 7 May 2026
Sky continues Sphere Abacus partnership with The Death of S...
07/05/2026
Thursday 7 May 2026
Sky Confirms Saturday Night Live UK will return this September for Series Two
Saturday Night Live UK will return for a second series, as S...
07/05/2026
Save 20% on the Sky Glass Gen 2 and Sky Glass Air TVsThursday 7 May 2026
How to watch the World Cup on Sky Glass
Tune into the World Cup on the BBC and ITV vi...
07/05/2026
Production sound mixer Dirk Sciarrotta has mixed Family Feud for 28 seasons. Thats up to 200 syndicated episodes per year, plus primetime celebrity specials - a...
07/05/2026
As audience expectations have evolved, Owen has stopped trying to hide microphones or excuse amplification. Instead, he treats sound as a fully immersive part o...
07/05/2026
Well known Irish faces pushed to the edge in new series of
Uncharted with Ray G...
07/05/2026
RT will premiere A Traveller Family, a compelling new documentary exploring the...
06/05/2026
New pricing tiers for vocal/dialogue restoration tool
NoiseWorks Audio's AI-powered vocal and dialogue processing plug-in is now available in three diff...
06/05/2026
Popular mixing & routing software overhauled
Following a recent public beta test, RME have launched the final release version of the powerful mixing and rou...
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
