On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams speak with Susie Piotrkowski, VP of women’s sports programming at ESPN, about the media company’s growing portfolio of women’s sports assets and the future of sports broadcasts.
First, however, they discuss the Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 on Sunday, a blowout that appeared over at halftime. A fan of the New York Giants, Piotrkowski talks about how it felt to watch Saquon Barkley win a Super Bowl with a division rival and the unique circumstances surrounding his leaving the Giants.
Next they talk about a big weekend for women’s sports content at ESPN. From Feb. 14-16, the group’s lineup includes the debut of the PLL women’s lacrosse league, a League One Volleyball tournament, the Shiners Children’s Clearwater Invitational (softball), women’s college basketball games and a pair of WSL soccer matches. The matches will be available on ESPN+, but also some on Disney+.
The trio talks about the Disney/ESPN women’s sports portfolio, which includes the above, plus other leagues like the WNBA and NWSL. Piotrkowski dispels the myth that there is a large cohort of women’s sports-only fans–it’s more like there are just basketball fans, she says–and discusses other viewership trends from ESPN’s women’s rights. Nearly 60% of women’s sports consumption comes via ESPN networks, she says. She also talks about which women’s sports property she’d most like to add at ESPN.
“Historically, there’s kind of been a misperception that only women are watching women’s sports,” Piotrkowski says. “One, we know that’s categorically untrue, but beyond that, for the very first time, we’re seeing female audiences grow adjacent to women’s sports. We’re also seeing female audiences grow adjacent to some of our top performing men’s sports.”
They also talk about how sports broadcasts are changing and what they might look like in the future. ESPN is the most-followed brand on TikTok, and Piotrkowski highlights the importance of social media as a touchpoint for fans.
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