Channel 4 is to launch a new weekly show dedicated to women’s football, starting on Saturday, 20 April.
Women’s Football World will be presented by BAFTA award-winning broadcaster Clare Balding and feature all the best action, interviews and features from top women’s football leagues around the world.
It will include regular highlights from England’s Women’s Super League, as well as action from top flight women’s football in France, Germany, Italy, United States and the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
The programme will be shot on location at a different women’s football club, stadium or training ground each week.
It is set to launch later this month and be broadcast in a Saturday morning slot, where it will keep viewers up to date with all the top stories, the best of the action and expert analysis on all the week’s action until the end of the season.
Commenting on the new show, Clare Balding said:
“I’m thrilled that Channel 4 is dedicating a football show solely to the women’s game.
“Having more women’s football on television can only help with awareness of the players, show the scope and quality of the game around the world, win over even more fans and inspire more young girls to become tomorrow’s superstars.”
Each week, Balding will be joined by a professional footballer who will provide expert analysis and opinion on the week’s key talking points and topical issues. She will also be gaining a deeper insight into the lives of her guests outside sport.
Channel 4 Commissioning Editor for Sport, Joe Blake-Turner said:
“We’re delighted to welcome women’s football back to Channel 4. Our coverage of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 was a huge success and there is clearly a real appetite out there for top quality women’s football.”
In addition to the new weekly show, Channel 4 will be offering a range of other women’s football content on All4 and across social and digital platforms including short films led by freestyle footballer and influencer, Liv Cooke.
Women’s Football World will be produced by Cardiff-based Nimble Productions and will be delivered in partnership with Coca-Cola.
Andrea Bombrini, Senior Brand Manager at Coca-Cola Great Britain, said:
“It’s a really exciting time for women’s football and we’re pleased to partner with Channel 4 to launch Women’s Football World.
“Football has the unique ability to unite people all over the world and Coca-Cola has a long and rich history supporting football at all levels, from the grassroots to the world stage.
“We hope that the new show shines a light on some of the amazing talent in women’s football and brings fans even closer to the game.”
Channel 4 stepped into women’s football coverage for the first time in 2017 when it broadcast the UEFA Women’s European Championships in the Netherlands.
Its coverage of the semi-final between England and the host nation attracted the UK’s highest ever audience for women’s football, peaking at 4.2m in 2017.
Previously, Channel 4 broadcast its much-acclaimed Football Italia series which first aired in 1992.
Women’s Football World launches on Channel 4 on Saturday, 20 April at 9.30am
Very pleased to be presenting this. I’ve said for a while this will be the breakthrough year for women’s sport and the more coverage the better. #WomeninSport https://t.co/jZpkOxHLIp
— Clare Balding (@clarebalding) April 10, 2019
