Hollywood icon Whoopi Goldberg is taking Australian netball to the world with her new global sport television network dedicated exclusively to women’s sport.
Netball Australia and the All Women’s Sport Network (AWSN) announced on Monday a multi-year broadcast deal to show Super Netball matches to more than 65 new countries.
Goldberg said she was “so proud” to see the Super Netball competition join AWSN.
“I think y’all are terrific,” she said in an Instagram video. “I just watched you play and I see that your fans are really loving you, so we want to make sure that we put you everywhere in the world so that everybody knows about you.”
Goldberg and AWSN co-founder George Chung launched the network at the end of 2024, with Goldberg saying her motivation for the project was sparked by seeing women’s sport not receive the same coverage as their male counterparts.
“I knew that if I couldn’t find these sports and watch the amazing female athletes playing them, others weren’t finding them either,” she told Forbes at the time. “I really hope shining a light on women’s sports will help elevate female athletes around the world.”
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Netball Australia’s chief executive, Stacey West, acknowledged the opportunities the new partnership would bring the league and netball more broadly.
“This breakthrough deal puts netball on screens across the globe and cements our place at the forefront of women’s sport,” West said. “AWSN shares our vision of taking women’s sport to new heights. Together, we’re creating a platform for our athletes and game to shine like never before.”
The response to the announcement was swift and positive, with former Diamond and AFLW player Sharni Layton commenting on Goldberg’s video saying: “This is next level. Netball is going [up].”
Netball Australia chair and former Diamond Liz Ellis shared the video, adding that Super Netball was “going places”.
The partnership is inked through to 2027 and will result in 41 Super Netball matches being broadcast to the network’s 900m-strong global audience. Other leagues featured on the network includes Australia’s WNBL, as well as the WTA, Uefa Women’s Nations League, Sweden’s Damallsvenskan, European cricket, roller derby and softball.
The WNBL joined the AWSN in November 2024, with then league boss, Christy Collier-Hill, saying: “Reaching fans globally and showcasing our incredible athletes, clubs, and competition is a major milestone for the league.”
It’s a much needed win for Super Netball and Netball Australia, which have faced extensive off-court dramas in recent years, and will help to solidify the revival the sport is undergoing in Australia.
The partnership also points to the continued growth of women’s sport, and the business opportunities it offers.