England Netball and UK Athletics (UKA) have announced new broadcast agreements with The BBC and Sky Sports.
England Netball’s announcement will see the upcoming Netball Super League (NSL) season, which begins on 17th February, aired on both broadcasters and is described as a ‘landmark broadcast arrangement’ for the sport.
According to a statement, Sky Sports has been a partner of the national governing body for more than 17 years and the new commitment to the sport will see all games from the season opener along with the semi final play offs and grand final shown on Sky Sports, with one game from each regular round shown on Sky Sports’ YouTube channel.
Additionally, England Netball’s new two-year agreement with BBC Sport will see one game per round in the regular season broadcast on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.
NSL Managing Director, Claire Nelson, said, “This is a hugely important milestone that enables us to showcase our sport to a bigger audience than ever before and is an incredible opportunity for the League, our clubs and our players to satisfy the appetite that we know is there.
“As we journey to professionalisation, we remain completely committed to delivering innovation in terms of how fans consume and experience netball, and now with BBC Sport joining Sky Sports as our trusted partners, we’re not only unlocking unprecedented visibility for the League but also continuing to ensure that netball remains at the forefront of innovative sports broadcasting. With 75% of our TV audience watching on digital platforms, it’s these partnerships that will align with the changing viewing habits of our younger audiences.
“We have huge ambitions for the League as part of our plans around professionalisation, and this is an important step ahead of 2025 where our aim is that every game will be broadcast everywhere around the world so that anybody can watch any game however and wherever they want to. For this season, I’d encourage all fans to tune in, or show up, let’s get behind our clubs and witness all the incredible drama and excitement that the NSL has to offer.”
Meanwhile, the UKA’s partnership with the BBC will see the 2024 Major Events series – which includes the Microplus UK Athletics Indoor Championships, the UK Athletics Championships and the London Athletics Meet – across BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.
UKA CEO Jack Buckner said, “We are thrilled to confirm BBC Sport as our broadcast partner for our 2024 Major events series. It’s a huge year ahead for our sport and we are looking forward to working with the team at BBC Sport to bring our big events into people’s homes. The BBC Sport digital and TV audiences give us a great platform and allow the British public to really follow the action in the build up to the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Regarding the free-to-air broadcaster’s new agreement with UKA, Philip Bernie, Director of BBC Sport, said, “This partnership serves as a terrific build-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Viewers can watch BBC Sport’s exclusive coverage with expert commentary across TV and online and follow these athletes in top action, as they strive for excellence on the world stage.
CLAIRE NELSON: THE NSL’S PATH TO PROFESSIONALISM
