Seven held celebrated Women in Sport event at the Sydney Football Stadium in Moore Park, last week.
The event was attended by some of the top CMOs from Australia’s biggest brands, clients and agency heads, Seven’s management team, the Seven sales management team, as well as James Warburton, Seven’s managing director and CEO, and CEO of Football Australia, James Johnson.
Also attending the event were Australia’s top women athletes, including Matildas players Chloe Logarzo and Cortnee Vine, AFLW players Erin Phillips, Ella Heads, Ruby Sargent-Wilson, Bridie Kennedy, Zarlie Goldsworthy and Chloe Dalton as well as FIFA Beyond Greatness Champion and para-athlete Ellie Cole.
Seven Sports commentators Abbey Holmes (AFLW), Lisa Sthalekar (Cricket) and Emma Freedman (Horse Racing) also attended the event.
The event also saw the formal announcement of the team leading the network’s coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 – live, free on Seven and 7plus.
See also: Seven name Mel McLaughlin and Bruce McAvaney to lead its FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 coverage
Guests were taken through a behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium, and a taste of what the Matildas will experience before they run out on the pitch for the WWC.
Attendees also saw future Matildas in training. Matildas players Vine and Logarzo then brought guests through the training room, the locker room and then welcomed them onto the field to enjoy a surprise lunch on the field as the atmosphere of a game was recreated through noise and the stadium lighting up with Seven’s female sport content.
The lunch event was hosted by 7SPORT anchor Mel McLaughlin, who was joined by special guests throughout the afternoon as 7Sport talent and the athletes joined guests at the tables.
Kurt Burnette, Seven’s chief revenue officer, said: “Our vision is to help shape culture and change behaviour. I appreciate that is a big statement to make, but it’s one we at Seven have been doing and are committed to, and you will see that across today.
“We are proud to be bringing the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup to the screens of Seven for viewers to embrace this iconic cultural moment.
“For us, this event re-affirms our ongoing commitment to sport and women in sport in general – across all disciplines from AFLW, WBBL, Womens Test Cricket, the World Surf League and more.
“The World Cup as a business proposition will also provide an enormous halo of audience in and out of the game to lift all our content around it.”
McLaughlin said: “Sport is a vehicle for connection – connection our passions, connection to our friends and family through shared experiences, connection to fans and tribes, and connections to communities.
“It’s the history-making moments that are embedded in the hearts and minds of all Australians, and as brands you get to share in these moments and truly connect.
“For Seven hosting the broadcast in partnership with Optus Sport, is not just a magnificent showcase of Women’s football, but also highlights the fact that Sport is culturally embedded in Australia’s history, one that Seven is proud to be part of shaping. Sport brings all Australians together. And Australians love supporting Australians on the world sport stage,” she added.
Kirsty Bradmore, Seven producer, said: “We’re in the business of story-telling and our core objective as it relates to brands, is to unlock ways to make them a genuine part of the story-telling.
“To integrate them through the broadcast and across screens in ways where they can make a relevant contribution to the fan experience – whether that be informative, educational or entertaining.
“We know the power of creative in context. It drives a stronger performance – more enjoyment, more relevance and more understanding of a brand’s message – and that is why it is so effective for marketers.
“Through previous major events and our sport broadcasts on Seven, we work with brands to help them to show up in purposeful, organic and authentic ways. That is what we as producers love and that is what drives the best outcomes for brands in terms of impact and engagement.
“Our Women’s World Cup broadcast for instance, is a wonderful platform for brands to communicate their contribution to a brighter future. To work together to shape culture and change behaviour – by changing the way young boys and girls view the world of sport,” she said.
“The sponsors who have come on board with Seven & Optus Sport have a real alignment to the event or football either globally and/or locally and are well positioned to complement the story-telling and deliver an enhanced advertiser and viewer experience,” Bradmore added.
