LABOR has promised $21 million to have women’s sport, including the Bendigo Spirit and WNBL, back on free-to-air television should they win the upcoming election.
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The party made the funding pledge for the ABC on Saturday to ensure 500 live hours of women’s sport will be broadcast over the next four years.
The 2015/16 WNBL season was the first to not be broadcast on the ABC, which the organisation blamed on funding cuts from the Abbott government.
Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters said a lack of free-to-air broadcast meant WNBL teams had struggled to attract the required attention.
“It’s fair to say that since losing their television broadcasting, the WNBL and the Bendigo Spirit, have struggled to attract key new sponsors and therefore, the ability of teams to be able to pay their players fair wages,” she said.
“Restoring the national broadcast of the WNBL will have an impact on the showcasing of regional sporting hubs with elite sports teams such as our Bendigo Spirit.”
The women’s sport broadcasting market is set to become even more lucrative in Australia in the coming years, with the WNBL competing with the women’s Big Bash League, W-League, an AFL women’s league and new partnerships in netball.
Bendigo Spirit chairman Greg Bickley said it was a positive announcement for the club.
“Anything that helps promote women’s sport is welcome. The WNBL is arguably only behind the WNBA in America as the best league in the world,” he said.
“We’ve seen netball sign a major deal for five years. Basketball needs support from government, broadcasters and sponsors for it to be a success.”
WNBL clubs had increasingly sought partnerships with Australian universities to further their brand and attract sponsorship, something Mr Bickley said the Spirit could explore with La Trobe University.
He said broadcasting the sport was an essential step.
“The fact it wasn’t in the public domain in the last season as much as it should have been showed the need for broadcasting and sponsorship to back the sport,” Mr Bickley said.
“There’s a very, very small amount of money required to broadcast women’s basketball compared to other sports.”
The funding package is expected to help the ABC broadcast the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, Women’s Hockey World Cup, FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and AFC Women’s Asian Cup, as well as the WNBL.