From a new club to record crowds, the A-League Women tallied several big wins this season. But could the competition have done more to capitalise on the World Cup?
Even before the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup had ended, fans of Australia n football were feverishly discussing how the domestic game could capitalise on the unprecedented attention and excitement that the tournament had sparked.
In fact, the Mariners' crowds contributed to what ended up being a record-breaking season in terms of attendance in the ALW, with the regular season plus finals series seeing over 300,000 people pass through the gates. That number made it the highest-attended women's sports league in Australian history, surpassing the Super Netball and AFLW, with over double the cumulative crowds of last season.
That broadcast offering was also boosted with the revamping of magazine wrap-up show DubZone, which included a panel of experts and commentators to look back across the weekend and analyse all the action .Following the Matildas' exodus to Europe in 2020, the ALW had to figure out a new identity for itself.
These financial troubles extend much further than these two clubs, with the A-Leagues having to shutter their expensive content arm, KeepUp, into which they poured tens of millions of dollars, as well as firing up to 70 staff as part of a mid-season restructure.
"I get a bit more of an insight into it because I've got two brothers in , and the main thing would be pay. They're full-time, we're part-time. But it's also the standards, the amount of staff, the facilities, everything like that: they're still pretty different between women's and men's. Television audiences reached record levels this season, but there's still plenty of work to do on the broadcast front for the A-League Women.There was logic in the APL's decision to move all women's games to streaming platforms: market research showed fans of the women's game were younger and savvier, and that numbers on terrestrial television were trending downward.
Soccer Matildas A-League Women 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Australia Sydney FC Attendance Broadcast Records Growth Funding Legacy
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