Lifetime Gets Into the Game with NWSL

Now after multiple blips on the media radar of womenamp8217s sports coverage aamp160USC study found an average 96 of TV sports coverage is devoted to menamp8217s sports AE Networks has embraced the possibilities and entered into a groundbreaking 3year partnership deal with the National Womenamp8217s Soccer League starting with the 2017 season And it really is a partnership amp8211 not only will NWSL games be broadcast on its Lifetime Network of course a long standing network geared to the female 1834 demo but parent company AE has purchased an equity stake in the NWSL a real sign of commitment to growth and has big plans for multiplatform touch points to bring womenamp8217s soccer to a major place in the media landscape I say quotgroundbreakingquotamp160because usually womenamp8217s sports coverage is woven into media deals with their counterpart menamp8217s teams And while there are highlighted games NCAA Final Four NCAA Softball Championships this is a major standalone deal And itamp8217s not Lifetimeamp8217s first sports deal eitherFan and Player AppealAlong with this commitment to onair coverage is an opportunity to expand both Lifetimeamp8217s reach into the devoted womenamp8217s soccer fan base very possibly not regular viewers of Lifetime and expand the NWSLamp8217s reach into a whole new target audienceEven the players appreciate the stepped up awareness this deal can mean amp8220They are psychedamp8221 Meg Linehan a contributor to the soccer website TheEqualizercom and longtime soccer journalist told me amp8220The players feel that while itamp8217s not a traditional sports network Lifetimeamp8217s long term commitment for the entire season outweighs that and can break through into new markets They feel that Lifetime has made a commitment to themamp8221amp160The playersamp8217 excitement was definitely palpable at the press event announcing the partnership Christie Pearce of NWSLamp8217s Sky Blue FC said amp8220Young girls all over the country now get the chance to watch their idols playing live on TV and that helps them to grow their own dreams The hope is that through this relationship we can all bring the game to the next level which is what each player in the NWSL deservesamp8221amp160The league also ties in perfectly with Lifetimeamp8217s empowerment message and speaks to socceramp8217s international appeal Indeed AE execs feel that this is just one of the compelling initiatives that can help grow the Lifetime brand among millennialsamp160 According to Peter Olsen Executive Vice Presidentamp160of Ad Sales at AE Networks amp8220This partnership is a reflection of Lifetimeamp8217s evolution as a brand as we up our touchpoints of empowerment and inspiration especially for young women As a league the NWSL is built on the foundation of strong and vibrant women who are great role models for young girls around the world Our two brands are perfect complementsamp8221Major League AuthenticityThere will be branding everywhere as befits a major partner Then when you add live streaming into the audience mix and after all itamp8217s 2017 and we should right potential audience expectations could explode for Lifetime 254 million tuned in to the 2015 Womenamp8217s World Cup per Sports TV Ratings and for the Rio Olympics Womenamp8217s Soccer garnered 256 million viewers total audience delivery for both linear and live streaming Obviously these are major events and numbers are inflated but they are still massive even watered down for projectionsIf you are Lifetime and these actively engaged and passionately loyal viewers are part of your new universe you are giddy with anticipationamp160 But you also must know that any misstep can lose your audience and make them go elsewhereamp160 Sports fans are smart and fickle And they can sniff out poseurs and patronizing commentary If youamp8217re a serious or even an occasional fan you can tell when your sportamp8217s coverage has been handed off to a newbie or someone who doesnamp8217t quotgetquotamp160the sport subtle nuances and particular phrases can reveal a fraud Itamp8217s jarring and can literally propel you online to watch the game in silenceWisely this is not the case with Lifetimeamp8217s broadcast team All announcers and analysts are respected within the sport and have either professional soccer experience or sports broadcasting experience or in most cases both They bring a depth of knowledge and a scope of perspective that enriches the game and really fills out the viewing experience to make you feel immersed and dare I say psyched I found myself starting to think of which jersey Iamp8217d buy Chicago Red Stars FYI after noticing the Lifetime logo on the sleeves of the players And while Iamp8217m not their typical target demo of 1834 theyamp8217ve earned another pair of eyeballs mineI also spoke to Howard Megdal a sports writer who has covered womenamp8217s sports for many years who said amp8220While Lifetime Network carried WNBA many years ago circa 1997 this is much more of a serious partnership Womenamp8217s sports in general is still trying to establish regular TV exposure and more consistent media coverage amp160Itamp8217s an important commitment by Lifetime to really partner with the NWSL and pave a new way for womenamp8217s sports but we have a long way to goamp8221True But with a strong start to the relationship not to mention modest ratings gains week to week this partnership is off to a great startamp160Photo credit Tony Quinnisiphotoscom Click the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Lifetime Gets Into the Game with NWSL

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Trisha Patterson

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Lifetime Gets Into the Game with NWSL

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