With digital being one of the most important initiatives to boost Squash exposure, it was announced just last month by the World Squash Federation (WSF) there is going a platform for fans to watch all kinds of tournaments online via their device – it is to be called Worldsquash.tv.
The platform will be operated by Sportall, a multi-sport streaming platform, who already showcases popular sports such as MMA and European cycling events, plus the African Athletics Championships.
It is expected to use modern technologies to operate the service, which it is hoped will enhance exposure and monetisation for the governing body’s events – something that is needed to make the sport more globally appealing to nations with talented Squash players, who can aspire to take part in an international Squash tournament.
So what does this mean for Squash in general?
Well, it is long overdue for more exposure and support for the sport in general, in terms of generating more interest for audiences that like the sport; along with raising the profile of current squash talent of senior players, plus helps generate more of the next generation of squash talent coming from the grassroots programmes too.
Watch Squash on demand, on any device
Credit: InsideSportsBiz
Like most sports, every fan would like to watch their favourite sport, especially when there was a key highlight of a recent tournament.
Now with Squash being featured on the Sportall platform, fans can stream all events managed by the WSF as well as feature programmes and archive footage.
Furthermore, it is also expected to benefit continental and National Federations by enabling them to stream their own competitions to a dedicated space on the platform.
Imagine this, Squash fans in England can watch coverage of the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) tournaments on their device, alternatively, squash players from other nations can watch a PSA-sanctioned tournament for FREE with their teammates for inspiration.
Besides Squash matches on-demand, there are discussions about featuring user-generated content and gamification – this is something that going to make their sport more innovative and appealing to audiences that have considered Squash as the sport of participation.
Building upon Commonwealth Games 2022 legacy
Given the successful coverage Squash received during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (despite the BBC’s lack live of matches), it seems that the powers that be of Squash are thinking of a lot of ways to bring the sport to be more digital – especially with benchmarking against other major sports.
With WorldSquash.tv it is certainly going help the sport more in terms of bringing more revenue in terms of event sponsorship, along with showcasing Squash development across nations that love the sport too.
As for live events, it is going to be good to watch junior tournaments such as British Junior Open in Birmingham live, given the tournament is a curtain-raiser for all junior tournaments. Another tournament that could be watched on the platform would be the London Open Squash tournament.
As for national governing bodies, ideally, the platform is going help them gain more exposure for their local Squash development programmes, as a means to help their grassroots programmes and help make household names of their elite squash players.
Take, for instance, Squash is considered to be the 3rd popular sport in certain African nations, hence potentially WorldSquash.tv could bring more into the mainstream especially if people love athletics and are fans of the African Athletics Championships.
Final Thoughts
For years and years, we have been championing more extensive coverage of Squash via any platform – including free-to-TV; but with WorldSquash.tv it is going to be a game changer in bringing the sport more closely watched on television.
When it comes to television coverage of Squash, the World Squash Federation’s partnership with Sportall is add bonus as it announced just last month too that BT Sport is set to remain the Professional Squash Association (PSA) official British broadcast partner after renewing its multi-year deal, which began in 2015 with a highlight package coverage – something that good for the sport in general.
Nevertheless, Squash fans can watch the sport on two great platforms, with expert commentary and in different languages.
Having formed partnerships this year with the BA Kolo Squash Club (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Jacob Esuene Sports Club (Nigeria), we think Worldsquash.tv could help them boost coverage of their Squash initiatives, especially with a feature of user content – a feature that could help our brand ambassadors get more media coverage with their participation in regional tournaments too.
Hopefully, it is going to bring Squash closer to becoming an Olympic sport too.
To sum up, the collaborative partnership between Sportall and the World Squash Federation is another string in the bow in getting Squash more exposure in front of the digital audience, so it going to be interesting to see how develops come 2023 and beyond.
