The Women’s Rugby World Cup, including live coverage from host stadia in Salford and Sunderland, is proving a major hit with digital audiences and smashing records across the broadcaster’s digital and social channels as England’s women look to emulate the success of the Lionesses’ recent Euros win in the football.
BBC Sport content from the event has so far racking up over 20m views on social media alone, cementing the tournament as another breakout moment for women’s sport this summer.
From viral videos and powerful storytelling to live coverage and explainers, fans across the UK are engaging with the women’s tournament like never before.
Some of the most-watched social clips (combined figures across BBC Sport TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X) include:
- Ilona Maher’s powerful message around food and body positivity struck a chord with fans, generating over 2.26 million views.
- “Memories that last a lifetime” – a heartwarming clip of a young mascot beaming before Scotland v Wales, clocking 1.89 million views.
- Ellie Kildunne’s setup for Jess Breach in England’s victory over the USA delivered 1.41 million views, showcasing the flair and skill on display.
- An explainer on flashing mouthguards – new tech designed to monitor player safety – drew 1.09 million views, reflecting growing fan interest in the science of the game.
- “A Black fern forever” – Ruby Tui joining in with the Black Fern’s haka was a hit with audiences with 1.04 million views
Away from the socials, the BBC has also logged record engagement for the women’s game across BBC Sport’s website and app, including:
- BBC Sport website and app: Rugby Union content has driven a massive 54.2 million page views, with 2.2 million views on live pages alone.
- England v USA: This key match generated 757,000 live page views by itself.
- BBC iPlayer and Sport app: A combined 5.8 million streams so far, 1.7 million streams of which were non-linear matches with 200k for France v South Africa alone showing strong appetite for on-demand viewing.
The BBC’s TV and radio reach hasn’t been too shabby either, with the tournament reaching 7.1m viewers on BBC TV during the opening stages, and BBC Radio 5 Live logging nearly 700,000 views of clips from the brand-new women’s rugby podcast Barely Rugby across social media platforms.
Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said: “The response to the Women’s Rugby World Cup so far has been phenomenal. These figures reflect not only the growing appetite for the women’s game, but also the impact of our commitment to telling these stories in fresh, creative and digitally accessible ways.
“From viral clips to live coverage across TV, iPlayer, radio and social media, we’re reaching audiences wherever they are and bringing them closer to the action than ever before. With the quarterfinals approaching, we’re excited to keep building on this momentum and showcase the athletes, stories and moments that truly capture the spirit of the tournament.”
