With the FIFA Women’s World Cup in the midst of quarter-finals, Johnnie Walker hopes to draw even more attention to the games that form part of the largest standalone women’s sporting event in the world.
The Scotch whiskey brand has teamed up with Hannah Waddingham, who may be better known to TV fanatics for her fictional appearance as Rebecca Welton, owner of AFC Richmond, on Ted Lasso to follow the games and see more women’s sports throughout the year.
Encourage viewers to “watch women’s sport”Hello Sunshine
“The ridiculous myth that ‘sport is for men and boys; It’s utter nonsense,” Waddingham, who campaigned for England at this World Cup while watching with her daughter, told Forbes.
With a simple message to Watch Women’s Sports, the partnership was influenced by the fact that women make up more than 40 percent of all athletes but receive less than 10 percent of all sports coverage.
“I had no idea these numbers were so crazy,” Waddingham said upon learning of the disparity between female and male sports viewers ahead of the partnership. “I’m excited to use my status with a globally successful show, which has fundamental roots in football, to bring as much attention to Johnnie Walker’s efforts as possible.”
These include Waddingham’s Match Day Memos, inspirational video reminders designed to remind viewers of upcoming games. The actress and lawyer has been producing them since July 14 leading up to the first game and will continue to create them through to the finale on August 20.
Waddingham says the reactions to her daily memos so far have been “exactly what we wanted,” adding that the reactions she appreciates the most are “coming from Ted Lasso fans who have loved it when I gave them.” ‘order’ to watch more women’s sports!” It’s great fun that they react like that and makes for a light-hearted response to a real call to action.” She says the game day memos are just the beginning of her efforts, young girls encourage them to enjoy sport.
FC players present Watch Women’s Sports during Johnnie Walker’s Women’s Gotham FC vs. Angel City FC Empowerment Game on July 2nd.Ben Hider
Although Waddingham played netball for Surrey in high school and recalls the joy of watching WWE wrestling, she shared that she was never encouraged to play sports. “I wanted to restore balance with my own child. Everything I achieved athletically at school was hard-fought and not encouraged.”
When she asked Waddingham why she thinks women’s sport gets far less attention, she said: “Because in the past we’ve been taught that sport is something of a male phenomenon from childhood.” But she added : “Enough is enough! When you look at the performance of female athletes, you can no longer overlook or ignore them.”
To expand the reach of Waddingham’s Match Day Memos, Johnnie Walker has partnered with three organizations dedicated to gender equality to take their initiative to the world: The Women’s Sports Foundation, Just Women’s Sports and Hello Sunshine. The Watch Women’s Sports campaign is also an extension of Johnnie Walker’s First Strides initiative, launched in 2022 to “celebrate, inspire and enable more meaningful innovations in culture.”
But Johnnie Walker’s commitment to advocating for equality dates back to her role as a founding partner of Angel City Football Club in 2021, the first majority women-founded, led and owned professional football team, and has since expanded to a partnership with Gotham FC.
With the FIFA Women’s World Cup still a week away, Waddingham recalls one factor that stays under the radar at every game: “It’s sport and drama rolled into one. The stars are extremely engaging and inspiring to young children.”
Waddingham also wants to inspire the next generation of female athletes. “I hope to always be present and to inspire young people in particular and especially young girls to take part in the sport. Enjoy the sport at school and step into your own greatness.”
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I am a freelance journalist specializing in travel, spirits, wine, food and culture. Having lived and worked in Bermuda, London, Santiago and New York City, I have witnessed the whimsical power of a traditional spirit or local beer to bring strangers together in the most unlikely of circumstances. This perspective inspired me to travel the globe in search of the stories and personalities behind the bottles. My travels have taken me from Europe’s famous wine destinations throughout Italy, Spain and France to lesser known regions in Hungary and Slovenia, as well as rice wine villages in southern China and a Swedish schnapps farm. I may have grown up drinking Inselrum, but today, when I’m not in tasting mode, I’m sipping on a classic: a dirty martini or a dry white. Raise a glass with me @jilliandara.
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