Lioness Alex Greenwood speaks out for IWD

ACCORDING to new research by the UK's leading pub company and brewer, Greene King, more Brits than ever before are supporting female sports, thanks to England's Lionesses' 2022 Euros triumph.

The research, which was commissioned to mark International Women's Day, showed that 58% of us now follow a woman's sports team following last year's Euros success.

The research also revealed that 76% of the nation believe awareness for women's sport has improved, but 66% still believe that this is lacking in comparison to male teams.

48% of us are now more inclined to watch women's sport in the local pub, citing the Lionesses' success as the main reason for this, with other reasons including:- better atmosphere (50%) and that they enjoy watching with family and friends (43%).

33% now watch women's sport at their local pub more than once a month, with 20% saying this has increased over the last 12 months. And it seems pubs are taking note of demand for women's sport, with 42% saying their local pubs are now showing more women's sport than ever before, but just 26% believe their local pubs are showing enough women's sports.

Ahead of International Women's Day, Greene King has announced its continued commitment to ensuring women's sport gets the airtime it deserves, pledging to show all the games in the Women's Super League for the 2023 season across many of its City Centre pubs.

To raise awareness of women's sport fixtures across its venues, Greene King is working with professional footballer and Lioness Alex Greenwood.

Alex said:- "It's great to see that respect and support for women's sport is improving, I believe there is still work to be done on this. Broadcasting more women's sports matches in public places will help us sustain the momentum and continue this improvement. This is why I'm delighted to be partnering with Greene King once more to help raise awareness of their continued support for women's sport."

Amanda Royston, Marketing Director at Greene King, said:- "Pubs are the original social network; offering people a chance to relax, unwind and socialise with friends. We want our pubs to be safe and welcoming spaces for all people, and this is why we're committed to inclusivity not just on International Women's Day, but every day. It's clear from our research that people believe pubs have an important role to play in improving awareness and support for women's sport, which is why we've committed to showing all the games in the Women's Super League for the 2023 season across many of our City Centre pubs."

It appears that confidence in the Lionesses' abilities is also at an all time high, with 78% of Brits believe the Lionesses will take home the silverware at this year's Women's World Cup.

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