Thread by @thetimes

Gary Lineker has joined calls to supersize women’s football on television after England’s Euro 2022 triumph was watched by a record audience thetimes.co.uk/article/gary-l…

The Match of the Day presenter said continued TV exposure would be “good for the game” while broadcasters argued that they had an obligation to capitalise on the #Lionesses success

BBC1’s coverage of England’s 2-1 win over Germany peaked with 17.4 million viewers, the largest audience ever recorded for a women’s game and the most-watched TV event of the year

Kelly Somers, the host of BBC1’s The Women’s Football Show, told The Times it was a “watershed moment” and she hoped audiences for women’s football would double over the coming years

🗣“Every WSL game has to be treated like a Sky Super Sunday,” Somers said, warning that there could be no “cutting corners” in coverage.

“Our job now is to put on a really good show and keep that momentum going,” she added

Philip Bernie, the BBC’s head of TV sport, said the broadcaster would “give it full welly” cross-promoting women’s football across television, radio and online.

Gary Hughes, Sky Sports’ head of football, pledged to “invest heavily” in marketing the game

🗣“We will go absolutely front-foot on this and market it as we would have done anyway, but obviously with the opportunity now to have an even higher profile,” Hughes said

🗣“Clubs have to be better supporting their own women’s teams,” said Nia Wyn Thomas, senior producer for Sky Sports’ WSL coverage.

“If you are a football fan, you will be appreciative of what’s happening on the pitch”

Lineker, 61, told Radio 4’s Today programme:

🗣“There’s a lot of women’s football now on television. This [victory] will only increase that popularity and the amount that’s being shown”

Read more here 👇 thetimes.co.uk/article/gary-l…