Whoopi Launches All Women’s Sports Network!

Whoopi Goldberg Ignites Women’s Sports with New Network

The fight for women’s representation in sports is a long one, but things are finally looking up. ESPN saw its best viewership for the women’s NCAA regular season in over 15 years. The WNBA continues to break records year after year. Now, a new player has entered the game: the All Women’s Sports Network, created by the legendary Whoopi Goldberg.

Whoopi Goldberg, a trailblazer and the first performer to achieve EGOT status, joined SportsCenter to discuss her passion project. She expressed her deep appreciation for the support she’s received, acknowledging that many have paved the way for women in various fields.

From Childhood Dreams to Global Network

Goldberg’s love for sports started early, thanks to her older brother who played nearly every sport imaginable. “He put it into my hands,” she recalled. “And every time I’d say, ‘Well, I want to do that.’ And he’d say, ‘Well, there isn’t really a place for you.'” This early experience highlighted a lack of opportunity and visibility for girls in sports.

“I just always felt that we were missing,” Goldberg stated. “That was a place we were not being seen.” While she occasionally saw female golfers or tennis players on TV, the coverage was limited. This sparked a desire to capture the broader world of women’s sports.

About 18 years ago, Goldberg began talking to people about her vision for a women’s sports platform. “Everybody sort of patted me on the head and said, ‘No, no, nobody wants to watch women’s sports.'” she remembered. Despite the skepticism, she persisted, believing in the demand. “I said, ‘But they they do. I do. I want to watch women’s sports.'”

After years of trying, someone finally said yes about two years ago. This led to the creation of the All Women’s Sports Network. “We’re in 60 countries, the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, India,” Goldberg proudly announced. “We’re showing what’s going on in women’s sports.” She believes the network is the fastest-growing women’s sports network globally, partly because there are so few others.

Sports as a Unifying Force

The network aims to showcase these athletes and bring conversations to the forefront. “A great way to get conversations going is through sports,” Goldberg explained. She highlighted how sports can empower girls, especially in countries where they might otherwise be overlooked. “Sports brings people together,” she added.

Goldberg also commented on the current state of women’s sports, noting the WNBA’s incredible performance. “It’s about time,” she said, giving credit to ESPN for recognizing the trend early on. She believes women often have to be better and work harder than men to gain recognition.

“You know, when you’re watching these, you’re watching college teams, you’re watching the the regular sports teams, you think, ‘Oh, okay. Well, they’ve won a lot more. They’re hustling a lot more than they got.'”

She elaborated, “We’ve had to be better. We’ve had to do harder, work harder, be better. We’ve had to be able to do extraordinary things that I never felt men really had to exhibit.” Goldberg emphasized that women often face higher expectations and more scrutiny.

A Knicks Fan’s Perspective

The conversation also touched on Goldberg’s lifelong love for the New York Knicks. “There are days that is great and then there are days when it’s just like damn I can’t do anything right,” she said, likening the team’s performance to life’s ups and downs. “This is why I this is the other reason I love sports is because you know it’s it it emulates life, right? It es and flows.”

She praised the NBA for its support of women’s sports, noting that while progress might be slow, having male allies has been crucial. “I think they’ve been very helpful uh to making sure that women are moving forward. Maybe not as fast as we would like to see it, but faster than they would have been if they didn’t have the men as a ally.”

Goldberg also spoke about the unique energy of sports fans. “There is nothing like a sports fan. There’s nothing like a sports fan because sports fans are dedicated. They don’t care about your politics. They just want you to win.” She admires the resilience of athletes who face criticism but continue to perform.

“I never doubt the Knicks. I never doubt really. I don’t doubt any team because I know how hard it is to live up to everybody’s expectations all the time,” she concluded. The interview highlighted the power of sports to unite people and Goldberg’s commitment to ensuring women’s achievements are seen and celebrated globally.

Source: Whoopi Goldberg on inspiration behind creating & becoming co-founder of All Women's Sports Network (YouTube)