Soccer leads women’s sports into bidding wars, AI driven by the market, an Olympics in front of crowds and opportunities for the neurodiverse – all trends to spot in the new year, predicts Adrian Pennington.
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final in August attracted record viewing figures pretty much everywhere, underlining a breakthrough year for women’s sport.
Spain defeated England 1-0 in the final in Sydney, with a record 12 million viewers watching in the UK on BBC One (higher than the men’s Wimbledon final last July which peaked at 11.3 million).
In Spain, 5.6 million watched the final, and it peaked at 7.4 million viewers, with data published by Barlovento Comunicacion saying that 56.2% of the Spanish television audience were male.
The tournament contributed to an...
You are not signed in
Only registered users can read the rest of this article.
.jpg)
The Lobby: Levelling the playing field in esports
With diversity, equity and inclusion at its core, Guild Esports has continued to build on its community-focused programmes, helping to create a welcoming and respectful environment for all gamers. Ivan Simic reports.

Content Everywhere: Accelerating towards IBC2025
Content Everywhere companies are already in planning mode for this year’s IBC, which takes places as usual at RAI Amsterdam in September. Some will also have been working on, or at least taking note of, projects included in the event’s Accelerator Programme, the 2025 iteration of which began last October with a call for challenges, followed by Kickstart Day in February.

Sheffield DocFest: Panellists scold media for succumbing to ‘climate of fear’
Investigative documentary filmmakers take broadcasters and streamers to task for being complicit in the rise of authoritarianism and muzzling the Palestinian experience in Gaza.

Machine burning: Is it high time for a global AI energy regulator?
AI is the new secret sauce that every CTO is being pressed to bring on board, helping to supercharge every part of the business, from automating admin to amplifying creativity. But what is the underlying cost to the environment? Neal Romanek reports.

Resistance may be futile: Animators unite to fight and work with AI
What happens when the tortoise of animation meets the hare of artificial intelligence? Speed is AI’s superpower but it threatens to wipe away jobs and craft. IBC365 is on the ground at the Animation Film Festival in Annecy.