Actor Whoopi Goldberg has launched the world’s first global sports channel dedicated exclusively to broadcasting women’s sports!

During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, Goldberg announced the launch of the All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN). She said the channel, which has already launched in the Middle East and Asia — including India — will make a big announcement about its US premiere this week.

“It’ll 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.”

The Sister Act actor said AWSN has partnered with Commonspirit and the project is “growing really fast”. According to the channel’s website, it’s available in 65 countries and reaches over two billion people.

The idea has been a long time coming. “We don’t really have that relationship with women’s sports so I said, ‘I would like to do this’, and somebody after 16 years maybe said, ‘My, what a good idea!’” she said.

“Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to play sports,” Goldberg said. “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. So, for years, I’ve been talking to people […] I feel like that will help us show that athletics — when they’re done brilliantly — it doesn’t matter who’s doing it.”

Women’s sports are expected to become even bigger in the year ahead, CNBC reported. According to Deloitte in 2024, for the first time, women’s elite sports will generate a revenue of over $1 billion, a 300 per cent increase from 2021.