DAZN boosts women’s football awareness with YouTube
May 23, 2023
DAZN, the sports streaming service, has published a study that shows its UWCL YouTube Channel has stimulated significant growth not only in UEFA’s premier women’s football competition but across all aspects of the women’s game.
The Value and Impact Report, undertaken by industry specialists Crux Sports, used extensive data analysis combined with interviews from stakeholders representing all aspects of European women’s football. It established that the partnership between DAZN and YouTube to promote and develop the UWCL has seen tangible and long-lasting impacts that underpin the continued growth and success of the competition, participating clubs, and players. It also found, more broadly, that women’s football is becoming a compelling and viable sporting and commercial proposition.
Key findings include:
- Viewed in 230+ countries/territories
- 362k DAZN UWCL YouTube Channel subscribers
- 12.3 million unique views
- 8.5 million hours watched on YouTube
- 77 per cent of clubs have seen a positive impact on sponsorship interest
- 65 per cent of views from 18-34 year-olds
Veronica Diquattro, Global Markets CEO, DAZN, commented: “DAZN is absolutely committed to helping grow women’s football in our core markets, across Europe, and globally. Our partnership with YouTube has been a huge success as Crux Sports’ Value and Impact Report demonstrates. We expected to see significant growth in viewership – when you combine DAZN’s production values with YouTube’s reach and UEFA’s high-level of competition it’s a winning formula. However, to hear about the increase in commercial and sponsorship interest, matchday attendances and visibility in other media is especially pleasing. We want to help the women’s game realise its potential, by reaching audiences, and by developing its obvious commercial appeal to create a virtuous circle of investment, growth, raising standards and overall interest.
“Building on the success of our pay women’s football plan in Spain, DAZN Victoria, we will be moving 42 of 61 UWCL matches on to paid for services globally and in our core markets. The UWCL, as well as our other women’s football properties, are high quality, have audience and command value. 19 matches – including the Final, one semi-final and two of the quarter-finals – will still be available via Dazn’s UWCL Channel, and our other free services. But we, and Uefa, feel the time is right for the competition to start finding its true commercial value. Visibility must lead to viability,” added Diquattro.
Alison Lomax, Managing Director UK and Ireland, YouTube, said: “YouTube is the best place for every type of sports fan. Meeting fans where and when they want, whether that’s live streams, long-form match highlights, the best moments via Shorts, podcasts or features with players and athletes. Our vision is a world where women’s and men’s sports are viewed and perceived equally and equitably and the starting point is to create more demand and access for women’s sport. We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with DAZN on the UWCL over the next two seasons, strengthening the foundations we’ve built over the previous two years.”
Bex Smith, Founder and CEO, Crux Sports, addded: “Crux Sports was founded on the belief that the value and impact of women’s sports and female athletes goes way beyond traditional sports metrics. The ground-breaking partnership between YouTube and DAZN helped bring the UEFA Women’s Champions League to new heights of visibility allowing Crux Sports to identify even broader and more significant results than expected: a positive ripple effect of increased accessibility, publicity, and growth for participating teams, players, media, sponsors and fans in the women’s game. We believe that the growth of women’s sports creates a more inclusive sporting culture reflective of a world we want to live in.”