UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 breaks viewing records

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Women's EURO
Credit: Michael Tubi / Shutterstock.com

UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 brought unprecedented interest in the tournament with record stadium attendances and a projected global cumulative live viewership of 365 million across TV, out-of-home viewing and streaming.

UEFA, alongside The Football Association, the Local Organising Structure and tournament stakeholders including the host cities and several partners, delivered the framework for a momentous event.

The 2022 edition of the tournament was shown worldwide via more than 60 broadcast partners and additionally via UEFA.tv in selected territories. More than 50 broadcast partners covered matches with dedicated on-site productions – more than double the 2017 edition at almost every stage of the competition.

More than double the number of live viewers tuned into the 2022 tournament when compared to the 2017 edition (178 million) and 214% more live viewers than in 2013 (116 million).

The final between England and Germany is projected to have attained a cumulative live viewership of 50 million worldwide, over three times more than for the 2017 final, when 15 million viewers tuned in

In both the UK and Germany, the final had the largest Women’s EURO audiences ever and the largest audiences since UEFA EURO 2020.

In addition, over 217,000 people attended dedicated Fan Parties in the host cities and 19,200 spectators took part in ‘Fan Walks’ to the matches. Moreover, the public investment in social impact programmes (art and heritage) amounted to $4.5 million AUD.

Over 2,300 volunteers were recruited and trained to enhance the overall fan experience. The volunteers were provided with the opportunity to be involved in a major sporting event across a variety of areas including media, hospitality, fan engagement and transport

The UEFA-supported legacy programme, which will run until 2024, aims to get more girls and women involved in football on a regular basis. It has been set up across the nine host cities by The FA, who have committed to several measures nationally.

With this programme rolled out a year ahead of the final tournament, results are already becoming visible, and its impact can be seen across the host cities:

  • 7,900 girls and women newly registered and playing in clubs
  • Over 14,600 have started playing recreationally
  • 145 new female coaches have been recruited and trained
  • The programme is on track to get 120,000 more girls playing football in school and over 416,000 new opportunities for girls and women to play football have already been created.

Globally, UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 generated 453.3 million cumulative social interactions, with TikTok (38.7%) and Twitter (21.1%) having the most.

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Football Australia Expands Mental Skills Program for Match Officials Amid Sustained Focus on Referee Retention

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Football Australia has confirmed a second national webinar for match officials, led by sports psychologist Dr Liam Slack, extending a referee development series introduced after strong engagement with an initial session on managing match-day pressure.

The upcoming session, themed “parking with purpose,” will focus on decision-making strategies designed to help referees process on-field calls and reset attention quickly across a match that can present hundreds of individual decisions. Dr Slack, who also consults with The Football Association and the AFC Referee Academy and previously spent over a decade as a performance psychologist with the Professional Game Match Officials Limited in England, brings substantial elite-level experience to a program open to officials at every level, from grassroots to professional.

The theme builds on work Dr Slack has already delivered within Australian officiating. He recently led a session with Football Australia’s National Referee Academy on the same concept, framing the ability to consciously park a decision and refocus on the next phase of play as a trainable skill rather than an innate trait, one that separates officials who reset quickly under pressure from those who don’t. He has also addressed more than 100 Football Australia elite match officials and staff on developing a stronger match-day mentality, an indication of how embedded this psychological framework has become across the officiating pathway rather than remaining a one-off intervention.

The expansion of the webinar series reflects a broader shift in how football administrators are approaching referee attrition. Rather than treating retention purely as a recruitment or pay problem, the program signals an institutional acknowledgment that the psychological demands of officiating, particularly the compounding pressure of split-second decisions under public scrutiny, are a material factor in whether officials remain in the game.

It rests alongside other measures adopted across Australian football in recent years, including visible identification programs for junior referees and structural reviews of referee departments at state federation level, all aimed at the same underlying issue: a shrinking pool of match officials relative to demand.

Football Australia has not detailed metrics for assessing the program’s impact on referee numbers, though the recurring engagement of an internationally credentialed specialist across multiple tiers of the officiating pathway suggests sustained institutional investment in the approach.

Football Victoria elevates fan enjoyment with Streets partnership

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Image credit: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock.com

Football Victoria (FV) revealed last week a new partnership with ice cream giants, Streets. The brand will become an exclusive ice cream partner for the next three years.

 

An iconic brand for joyful experiences

As a well-known and popular ice cream brand with people all around the nation, Streets will now look to support the fan experience in Victoria through its products.

It reflects FV’s commitment to delivering a family-friendly and memorable experience for spectators. Both on and off the pitch, the organisation is striving to elevate the experience for fans and families alike.

“Football Victoria is always looking for ways to elevate the experience at The Home of The Matildas, and this partnership does exactly that,” explained FV Executive Manager of Commercial and Facilities, Chris Speldewinde.

“It’s a fantastic fit for our community and we’re looking forward to what the next three years will bring.”

Furthermore, Senior Brand Manager at Streets, Ryan Katz, emphasised the brand’s role in community sport and in creating memories beyond the action on the pitch.

“Streets is proud to join Football Victoria as its exclusive ice cream partner,” Katz said.

“There’s nothing better than enjoying a great game with a classic ice cream in-hand, and we’re excited to be part of those moments across the state.”

 

Understanding community football

Community football is all about these moments. Sunny days, the family together, and a sweet treat in-hand while supporting a local team alongside friends and neighbours.

This is why a partnership between FV and Streets is particularly important.

Not for its commercial value, but for what it tells us about both parties’ understanding of what matters to fans. From young fans to experienced matchday-goers, everyone wants to find enjoyment while watching the game.

And while the 90 minutes of action is the focus, the experience of a local matchday is truly defined by interactions with fellow supporters and smaller – but no less significant – moments of happiness during the day.

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