WITH attendances on the rise again and more viewers than ever, 2024 was the biggest ever season on record for the Sports Direct Women’s Premiership, won recently by Cliftonviile.
Fans continue to back the top-flight of female football in Northern Ireland as the average match attendance continues to grow year-on-year and has now marked a 59% increase since the 2021 season.
There was a record-breaking highest ever attended NIFL women’s match in July, as 1,102 fans descended on the Blanchflower Stadium for the showpiece VBET Women’s League Cup Final between Cliftonville Ladies and Lisburn Rangers.
Off the pitch, the league embarked into a new era with the first season of the landmark live broadcast partnership with DAZN, which showcased the Women’s Premiership and the clubs onto a new world stage alongside some of the biggest female football leagues and competitions from across the globe.
The 2024 season enjoyed five live broadcasts on DAZN, the most ever in one season for the league, with over 1 million views of live games and match highlights across all platforms this season proved to elevate the competition unprecedented new heights.
Ian Forrester, NIFL Chief Commercial Officer said: “This has been another ground-breaking year for the NI Football League and women’s football. As a league we continue to grow with the backing of our commercial partners who are so supportive of our passion for growing arguably the biggest female domestic competition in Northern Ireland.
“There has never been a better time to get involved in this exciting journey, as we’re already looking forward to next season!”
Traditional media value also continues to grow, as the MAVE value for the Women’s Premiership amassed €2.9m from print media during the campaign.
