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UK TV series, even very popular ones, don't always do that well when they go to the US. Nigel Farage looked to buck the trend on Wednesday, when he took his show Stateside. He was appearing in front of the House Judiciary Committee to talk about the free speech crisis in the UK. Nevermind that Parliament was sitting, nor that it was Prime Minister's Questions, this was where the Reform leader decided to be. He got a rough ride from Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland. The two had clashed before, but time time Raskin had the floor and branded the whole appearance "a drive-by hit against a strong democratic ally to benefit a Donald Trump sycophant and wannabe.” What makes it all really stick in the craw is that Farage has actually banned a national journalist from attending his party conference.

If you thought Angela Rayner had a rough day yesterday, maybe spare a thought for the Prime Minister’s spokesperson. I understand there was quite a lot of anger directed towards them from members of the lobby - the UK’s political correspondents. The hacks were annoyed at a lack of transparency around the issues related to the Deputy Prime Minister/Housing Secretary’s various homes and took it out on the spox. All in a day's work…

​Thanks to Tickaroo for supporting this newsletter.​

Women's Sport Wins Summer Media Wars

On Sunday, I headed to Lord’s for The Hundred Finals day. The Hundred is the shortest form of the game. Each side bowls for a maximum of 100 balls and bats for a maximum of 100 balls. Uniquely for cricket in the UK, it is based on franchises, not counties. Furthermore, women's and men’s games take place on the same day, one after another.

The Hundred is not loved by cricketing purists, but it has provided a huge boost for the women’s game. There were 22,542 people there for the women’s final last weekend. A record. Many more will have watched the games on TV, seeing the female players on a par with the men.

The players enjoy being part of the coverage. Georgia Carey, captain of losing finalists Southern Brave, said after the match that the competition “is pivotal in growing the game”. She also highlighted the importance of “providing free-to-air games on YouTube, and young cricketers, young female cricketers, having role models that they can actively see and watch.” (Sky Sports often streams the women’s games for free and the BBC has some rights too.) Carey added that those involved have “really put a lot of resource and effort into marketing it, and it's really paid off.”

On the media buzz and marketing, Nicola Carey, of the victorious Northern Superchargers, said that, given the crowds, “I think they must do a really good job. The people must enjoy the product, because they keep turning up.”

Sponsored by: Tickaroo​

This growth in women’s cricket coverage is just the latest success for women’s sport this summer. Millions tuned in to watch Euro 2025. The Women’s Rugby World Cup is picking up some momentum, too.

On Friday, Women’s Super League football returns, with plenty of Lionesses playing. They are set to generate both media and in-person excitement.

On screen, every game of the WSL will once again be available to watch, 118 of them on Sky. A selection will be free-to-air via the BBC and YouTube. Second-tier WSL2 games are also getting a boost, being shown on YouTube. These are incredible developments that should see more fans than ever following the game.

Media buy-in is essential for growth. The summer has shown that women’s sports can bring big viewership and real success. The WSL is likely to be both a key beneficiary and drive of this going forward.

What to Watch This Weekend

Football

Women’s Super League

Chelsea vs Man City - It seems odd to call the opening game of the season a title-decider, but it could well be, as the holders welcome Man City to Stamford Bridge. Kick-off is at 7.30pm BST/2.30pm ET. You can watch the game on Sky Sports/NOW in the UK and on ESPN Select in the US

Arsenal vs London City Lionesses: The newcomers have recruited well, but they have a tough task as they play their first ever WSL game at the Emirates. Kick-off is at 1.30pm BST/8.30am ET. It is available to watch for FREE on BBC One/BBC iPlayer in the UK and on ESPN Select in the US.

American Football

The NFL is back, baby. There are games galore, and they are mostly on Sky Sports in the UK. It will be interesting to check out Channel 5’s new free coverage too.

Tennis

US Open Finals

At the time of writing, we don’t know who is going to make the finals, but given the talent in the semis, both the men’s and women’s singles should be fantastic affairs. The Women’s final is on Saturday, the men’s final is on Sunday. They are on Sky Sports in the UK and ESPN in the USA.

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