Whoopi Goldberg wants to give women’s sports the attention she feels it deserves.
During an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” the EGOT winner announced her leap into the sports world with the launch of the first global women’s sports channel, All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN).
“I’m launching the first global women’s sports channel, called AWSN (All Women’s Sports Network),” Goldberg revealed earlier this week. “It will be the home for live women’s sports from around the world. Everything from soccer, basketball, tennis, cricket, curling, you name it; if a woman is playing it, we’re showing it.”
According to Goldberg, the network comes in partnership with CommonSpirit. AWSN has already launched in Asia, the Middle East and India, with an announcement regarding its U.S. distribution expected next week.
Goldberg’s sports network has been 16 years in the making. The idea, which expands from the EGOT-winning actress’ childhood dream to play sports, allows her to get involved in an industry she was once overlooked in as a young girl.
“Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to play sports,” she explained. “My brother could play. He played baseball, he played softball, he played basketball, he played everything And they would say, ‘Oh, hi little girl.
“It always pissed me off,” she said. “So, for years, I’ve been talking to people and saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could go around the world, start getting young athletes in high school so that we can grow with them and grow up with them?’”
Professional women’s sports has gradually gained traction over the past few years, with record-breaking TV audience for women’s sport in 2023.