Hollywood icon Whoopi Goldberg has launched the All Women’s Sports Network with the hope of bringing more attention to women’s sports. She partnered with George Chung, co-founder of international media holding company Jungo TV, to create the first global media channel exclusively dedicated to showcasing women’s sports. The network is accessible in the U.S. through the free streaming service Vizio WatchFree+.
Goldberg shared with CNBC that her childhood love for sports and her desire for increased female representation in the sports industry motivated her to establish the network. She expressed her vision for young girls to have collectible cards of their favorite female athletes and to follow sports stars just as she did with Mickey Mantle.
The AWSN is also accessible through international partners in countries such as India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines. The network plans to broadcast 2,000 hours of live sports throughout the remainder of this year and into 2025, covering a diverse range of sports including soccer, basketball, volleyball, field hockey, cricket, judo, and table tennis.
Goldberg emphasized her aspiration for the growth of women’s basketball and soccer to shine a light on other women’s sports like hockey and roller derby. She expressed her enthusiasm for women’s participation in sports and her desire for greater recognition of their achievements.
Chung mentioned that the All Women’s Sports Network is currently available in nearly 20 million U.S. households through Vizio WatchFree+. The network aims to expand its reach to over 100 million homes in the coming months. Goldberg acknowledged initial challenges in launching the network but found alignment in goals with Chung, emphasizing her long-term vision for the network to become as prominent as major television networks like ABC, NBC, or CBS.
Disclosure: NBC and CNBC are divisions of NBCUniversal.
Clarification: AWSN is projected to be available in over 100 million homes in the next few months, correcting a previous misstatement in the story.
