SINGAPORE: Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) CEO Steve Simon declared that viewership for the women’s game is going stronger in attracting considerable interest, having reached figures of 600 million on broadcast and 300 million on digital platforms across the globe in 2018.
At the year-end annual WTA conference in the city on Wednesday, the CEO also said that the aggregate of 900 million is ‘up 20% from last year’, amounting to 720 million in 2017.
“From my perspective, the WTA, at least during my time here and during the years in which I was a board member and before that as a tournament director, has never felt or seemed stronger or better than it is today,” Simon, who began his tenure as the WTA CEO in 2016, said.
“I think what’s driving it is really a deep and diverse product that we have going right now. When you think about the depth of our sport and our product, we’ve got some amazing young athletes out there.
“When you look at the depth, again this year, we had four Grand Slam winners, individuals, different, and we had four different Premier Mandatory winners, as well. You don’t do that without tremendous depth to be at these level events and winning this.
“Look at the top of our game right now, being led by Simona and Caroline, Angie, Sloane. We then have players that are going to be in the history books that are still playing and very competitive on the tour: Serena, Venus, Maria. That creates a very compelling storyline.”
He expressed confidence in the ongoing WTA Finals taking place in the city, smashing the 2017 attendance record of 133,000 people.
“There is no question that the WTA Finals and its product and its brand of an event is at a significantly higher level than it was five years ago.
“I think that you can see that through this year we will have record attendance again. I believe it will exceed last year’s 133,000 people. You have seen it the first few nights at the event. You have seen it in the evolution of the fans here.
“When I came here the first year, the opening year, I think you could have heard a pin drop in that stadium, because everybody was so polite and pristine. When you watch the matches now, there is a lot of energy, fun, enjoyment, entertainment, which I think really shows the growth.”, Simon added.
Next year, the event is set to move to the Chinese city of Shenzhen. The development has been backed by impressive numbers it has garnered in China courtesy local broadcast partners iQiyi, who have increased viewership ‘from four million people in 2014 to 39 million people in 2017.’ This is a good omen for the WTA Tour progressing in Asia.
