Katharine Merry was the first female in-stadium announcer at the Olympics, 20 years after winning athletics bronze in the 400 meters.
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A new-look Netball Super League (NSL) is aiming to boost the profile of its players to attract a new generation of fans.
Last year, football overtook netball as the most popular sport played by girls in the UK, fuelled by the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 victory.
Making netball ‘an entertainment product’
More matches in arenas, increased salaries and a reduction in the number of teams are some of the changes introduced, which aim to captivate fans as seen in other sports.
The NSL is taking inspiration from women’s football and basketball to “build an entertainment product”, its managing director Claire Nelson told Sky Sports.
England’s Lionesses won Euro 2022 on at Wembley Stadium, in front of more than 87,192 fans (ASSOCIATED PRESS).
Two London teams will compete in the revamped league, which the sport’s governing body hopes will make it “the most competitive, commercially vibrant and captivating professional netball league in the world.”
Olympic medallist Katharine Merry, who will be commentating on the matches, told City London News that the changes will promote the players as “role models” and “how they should be seen as professional sportspeople”.
Looking to find netball’s Caitlin Clark
The league will be looking for its own ‘Caitlin Clark Effect’ to raise its profile, like the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has enjoyed since the then teenager rose to fame as a college star.
Clark’s debut was the most watched WNBA game for 20 years, with over two million people tuning in on TV.
Businesswire estimates the WNBA generated $136m (£105m) in value to its sponsors last year, mostly because of Clark.
Clark’s number 22 shirt at Iowa University was ‘retired’ because of her impact on the sport (ASSOCIATED PRESS).
There’s no shortage of talent within the NSL for supporters to follow.
The England Roses won the Netball Nations Cup in February, after securing silver in the 2023 World Cup.
The league will also feature players from other powerhouse nations like South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
Eight teams will compete in the league, a reduction of two from the previous season.
Organisers say it is part of its “fewer, bigger, better” approach, as the sport looks to build its entertainment and broadcast value.
Player salaries will increase, as part of England Netball’s ambition for athletes to have a full time career in the sport.
This brings the NSL in line with leagues in New Zealand and Australia that are already fully professional.
Average pay is increasing, with the minimum salary more than doubling to around £8,000.
Salaries this year for the NSL have gone up a whopping 82% which is huge, and it therefore makes it a viable option for young players. This is now a step towards being a lot more professional […] and it’s a huge step forward for the sport, but it needs to be maintained.
Katharine Merry, Olympic medalist and netball commentator
Squad sizes have been reduced to promote competitiveness between teams and players, with a salary cap designed to spread talent around the league and ensure players are paid similar wages.
Half of NSL matches will be played at major arenas across the country, in a bid to draw bigger crowds and improve the matchday experience.
The grand final will be played at London’s O2 Arena on 6 July.
Nearly 19,000 people in London and the South East are England Netball members (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
New TV broadcast deals with Sky Sports and the BBC will mean fans who cannot attend can still follow the action, as seen in the WSL.
New rules were also announced this week, which managing director Nelson says will create a ” fast-paced, exciting format”, vowing that “we want to create unmissable experiences.”
Among the changes is a bonus point for losing teams who score within five goals of their opponents, extra time if a game is drawn, and two-point ‘super shots’ being allowed from the edge of the shooting circle in the last five minutes of the quarter.
‘Fire in the belly’ for the Pulse
London Pulse and London Mavericks will both play in the Super Cup this Saturday, coinciding with International Women’s Day.
The one-day event in Sheffield is a curtain-raiser before the league begins on Friday 14 March.
London Pulse are hoping to win the domestic league for the first time since making their debut in 2019. The team finished in third place last season, and second the season before.
Merry says there is “fire in the belly” of head coach Sam Bird and the squad, which features multiple England internationals.
Zara Everitt captains the team for a fourth successive season, having been elected to the role by her fellow players.
The side also features Alicia Scholes, daughter of former Manchester United and England footballer Paul Scholes.
The Pulse will play all their home games at the Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Mavericks ‘making strides forward’
Tamsin Greenway (right) won bronze with the England Roses at the 2011 and 2015 World Cups (ASSOCIATED PRESS).
Tamsin Greenway has taken up the role of Director of Netball at London Mavericks, overseeing the performance and development of the club.
Head Coach Camilla Buchanan has been “making strides forward” with a good group of players, according to Merry. She was previously in charge when the club was known as the Saracens Mavericks.
Captain Ellie Rattu was a London Pulse player for three seasons, before switching allegiances in 2023.
London Mavericks were a founding member of the first Super League in 2005, but have not won a championship since 2011.
The side will play two home games at the OVO Arena in Wembley. Others will be contested at the Brentwood Centre and Hertfordshire Sports Village.
Analysis: A key moment in growing the sport
Netball is tapping into the ‘sport-tainment’ market to boost its following, which football and basketball have already benefited from.
Playing more games at the likes of the Copper Box, Wembley Arena and The O2 signals an intent to grow the sport’s fanbase.
[Netball] was really kickstarted massively when England won the Commonwealth Games back in 2018 and ever since then, the Roses have just got better and better. The Super League this year is a new journey and new era.
Katharine Merry
England won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia (ASSOCIATED PRESS).
Players becoming full-time athletes will do more than only elevate the standard of competition on-court. It will put them front and centre, allowing them to become their own ‘brands’.
Netball needs to find their Caitlin Clark to be as successful as the WSL or WNBA.
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HeadlineRevamped Netball Super League taking inspiration from football and basketball to attract new fans
Short HeadlineNetball league revamp aims to attract new generation of fans
StandfirstKatharine Merry tells City London News why the changes are so exciting, as the new-look competition tries to emulate the Women's Super League.
A new-look Netball Super League (NSL) is aiming to boost the profile of its players to attract a new generation of fans.
Last year, football overtook netball as the most popular sport played by girls in the UK, fuelled by the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 victory.
Making netball ‘an entertainment product’
More matches in arenas, increased salaries and a reduction in the number of teams are some of the changes introduced, which aim to captivate fans as seen in other sports.
The NSL is taking inspiration from women’s football and basketball to “build an entertainment product”, its managing director Claire Nelson told Sky Sports.
England’s Lionesses won Euro 2022 on at Wembley Stadium, in front of more than 87,192 fans (ASSOCIATED PRESS).
Two London teams will compete in the revamped league, which the sport’s governing body hopes will make it “the most competitive, commercially vibrant and captivating professional netball league in the world.”
Olympic medallist Katharine Merry, who will be commentating on the matches, told City London News that the changes will promote the players as “role models” and “how they should be seen as professional sportspeople”.
Looking to find netball’s Caitlin Clark
The league will be looking for its own ‘Caitlin Clark Effect’ to raise its profile, like the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has enjoyed since the then teenager rose to fame as a college star.
Clark’s debut was the most watched WNBA game for 20 years, with over two million people tuning in on TV.
Businesswire estimates the WNBA generated $136m (£105m) in value to its sponsors last year, mostly because of Clark.
Clark’s number 22 shirt at Iowa University was ‘retired’ because of her impact on the sport (ASSOCIATED PRESS).
There’s no shortage of talent within the NSL for supporters to follow.
The England Roses won the Netball Nations Cup in February, after securing silver in the 2023 World Cup.
The league will also feature players from other powerhouse nations like South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
Eight teams will compete in the league, a reduction of two from the previous season.
Organisers say it is part of its “fewer, bigger, better” approach, as the sport looks to build its entertainment and broadcast value.
Player salaries will increase, as part of England Netball’s ambition for athletes to have a full time career in the sport.
This brings the NSL in line with leagues in New Zealand and Australia that are already fully professional.
Average pay is increasing, with the minimum salary more than doubling to around £8,000.
Salaries this year for the NSL have gone up a whopping 82% which is huge, and it therefore makes it a viable option for young players. This is now a step towards being a lot more professional […] and it’s a huge step forward for the sport, but it needs to be maintained.
Katharine Merry, Olympic medalist and netball commentator
Squad sizes have been reduced to promote competitiveness between teams and players, with a salary cap designed to spread talent around the league and ensure players are paid similar wages.
Half of NSL matches will be played at major arenas across the country, in a bid to draw bigger crowds and improve the matchday experience.
The grand final will be played at London’s O2 Arena on 6 July.
Nearly 19,000 people in London and the South East are England Netball members (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
New TV broadcast deals with Sky Sports and the BBC will mean fans who cannot attend can still follow the action, as seen in the WSL.
New rules were also announced this week, which managing director Nelson says will create a ” fast-paced, exciting format”, vowing that “we want to create unmissable experiences.”
Among the changes is a bonus point for losing teams who score within five goals of their opponents, extra time if a game is drawn, and two-point ‘super shots’ being allowed from the edge of the shooting circle in the last five minutes of the quarter.
‘Fire in the belly’ for the Pulse
London Pulse and London Mavericks will both play in the Super Cup this Saturday, coinciding with International Women’s Day.
The one-day event in Sheffield is a curtain-raiser before the league begins on Friday 14 March.
London Pulse are hoping to win the domestic league for the first time since making their debut in 2019. The team finished in third place last season, and second the season before.
Merry says there is “fire in the belly” of head coach Sam Bird and the squad, which features multiple England internationals.
Zara Everitt captains the team for a fourth successive season, having been elected to the role by her fellow players.
The side also features Alicia Scholes, daughter of former Manchester United and England footballer Paul Scholes.
The Pulse will play all their home games at the Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Mavericks ‘making strides forward’
Tamsin Greenway (right) won bronze with the England Roses at the 2011 and 2015 World Cups (ASSOCIATED PRESS).
Tamsin Greenway has taken up the role of Director of Netball at London Mavericks, overseeing the performance and development of the club.
Head Coach Camilla Buchanan has been “making strides forward” with a good group of players, according to Merry. She was previously in charge when the club was known as the Saracens Mavericks.
Captain Ellie Rattu was a London Pulse player for three seasons, before switching allegiances in 2023.
London Mavericks were a founding member of the first Super League in 2005, but have not won a championship since 2011.
The side will play two home games at the OVO Arena in Wembley. Others will be contested at the Brentwood Centre and Hertfordshire Sports Village.
Analysis: A key moment in growing the sport
Netball is tapping into the ‘sport-tainment’ market to boost its following, which football and basketball have already benefited from.
Playing more games at the likes of the Copper Box, Wembley Arena and The O2 signals an intent to grow the sport’s fanbase.
[Netball] was really kickstarted massively when England won the Commonwealth Games back in 2018 and ever since then, the Roses have just got better and better. The Super League this year is a new journey and new era.
Katharine Merry
England won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia (ASSOCIATED PRESS).
Players becoming full-time athletes will do more than only elevate the standard of competition on-court. It will put them front and centre, allowing them to become their own ‘brands’.
Netball needs to find their Caitlin Clark to be as successful as the WSL or WNBA.
