Google Pixel has announced the launch of Pixel FC, a group of committed women’s football creators & presenters who will work with Google and The FA to help close the visibility gap in women’s football.
New research by Pixel and the Women’s Sport Trust has revealed that despite record-breaking broadcast audiences and media coverage for women’s football in the 2022/23 season, there are still strides be to made to achieve parity with the men’s game, with 2% of print media football coverage and 6% of television football news mentions in the UK dedicated to the women’s game compared to 98% and 94% achieved by the men’s game respectively.
To work towards fixing this imbalance, Pixel and The FA will provide the creators and presenters at the heart of the sport with the tools, platform and investment they need to help develop women’s football content even further. Pixel is committed to achieving fair and equal pay to all creators and presenters across both men’s and women’s football, including providing industry rates and full travel and expenses for all Pixel FC appearances.
Each of the original members of Pixel FC – Abbi Summers, Alex Bailess, Mollie and Rosie Kmita and Samantha Miller – will travel to Australia and New Zealand for this year’s Tournament, funded and supported by Pixel.
Pixel FC members will also receive continued support beyond the tournament, with Pixel working closely with The FA to provide the best access, training and support available. This includes pitchside access at select England matchdays, content creation opportunities with top England talent, and masterclasses with experts from Google and The FA, as well as receiving the latest Pixel devices for capturing content.
Baroness Sue Campbell, Director of Women’s Football at The FA, said: “In 2023, we’ve seen match attendances and audience figures continue to break records across women’s football – and we thank those media who have helped share our story over the past few years – though there is still a lot of work to do to respond to such a significant growth in appetite.
“Google Pixel’s commitment to helping us raise the visibility of women’s football offers another step towards tackling the gender bias we still see so often around sport. Our ambition is to ensure there is access and opportunity for every girl and woman to participate, play and watch football by 2024, and harnessing the incredible power of the media further with the launch of Pixel FC will undoubtedly help us work towards that this summer.”
Alex Bailess, founding member of Pixel FC, said: “I’m delighted to be one of the first ever Pixel FC members. Women’s football is such a special place, and I’m so privileged to be able to cover the game, especially at a time like this with all the growth around us. However just because things are better doesn’t mean they’re perfect, and it’s so important brands like Pixel are stepping up to give us the support we need. Even now I have to struggle to get basic amenities like travel and expenses covered for my work, and like so many others I was desperate to go out and cover the World Cup, but just couldn’t find the funding to do so until Pixel stepped in. Initiatives like this make such a difference, and I can’t wait to see what the next few years bring!”
Eileen Mannion, Vice President Marketing at Google UK, said: “The underrepresentation of women’s sports is a problem that affects everyone who loves the game and beyond, as it reinforces standards of inequity in our culture. We are proud to partner with The FA to increase women’s football coverage and help tackle gender bias. By launching Pixel FC we will bring fans closer to the game they love through exciting new content, while fostering greater inclusion. This is something we are truly passionate about at Google – our product experiences are equitable for all genders and we are committed to reflect this in our media investments, too.”
