New case study on Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025
New case study on Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025
Sport NZ has released a new case study analysing media coverage of the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, as part of the Sport NZ-Isentia media and gender study, which tracks coverage of women in sports news across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Key findings
- The Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 accounted for 12% of all sports news coverage during the tournament period, 1% less than the 2022 tournament held in New Zealand, when the White Ferns also exited in the pool stages.
- 84% of the Women’s Cricket World Cup coverage focused on results and performance, with fewer stories about preparation, training and player journeys that add depth and context.
- Women’s cricket accounted for 38% of all cricket coverage during the tournament period, compared with 62% for men’s cricket. This represents a drop of 22% from the 2022 tournament, which was held in New Zealand.
- Timing appears to have played a role in reduced cricket coverage share for women, with the tournament overlapping the Black Caps T20 series against England and Australia and the ODI series against England.
- Women’s sport made up 33% of all sports news coverage during the tournament period, consistent with the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup.
What this means
The case study shows how timing can shape visibility. When major men’s and women’s cricket events run at the same time, media coverage often skews toward the men’s competition.
It also shows that the majority of coverage of women’s cricket remains heavily focused on match results, with fewer stories about preparation, training and player journeys that add depth and context.
There is a clear opportunity to grow coverage between match days so audiences can connect through off-field stories and athlete perspectives.
While progress continues, the study shows there is still more to do to maintain consistent visibility when tournaments are played offshore.
Sport NZ and Isentia will continue monitoring female representation in sports media to support evidence-based advocacy, sector planning and visibility across women’s sport.
Dive into the insights below to learn more.
