SVT Sport has worked for a gender-equal sports coverage since 2015 and on the eighth of March every year I usually tell how things are going for us and for women's sports in general.
This year, however, it is with hesitation that I write this.
A war is raging in Ukraine and the world and sports have a different, obvious focus.
At the same time, it is important to highlight the glimmers of light that are present.
Last year I stated that women's sports were one of the hottest trends in sports.
That trend continues, but the most interesting thing now is that women's sports on television seem to attract new audience groups, ie audiences who have not watched other sports now choose to watch women's sports.
For example, last year eleven million new TV viewers in England watched "Women's Hundred" (cricket) and the women's Super League (highest football league), according to a report from the Women's sports trust.
25 percent of those who watched the women's cricket did not watch any men's cricket in 2021 and 6.2 million watched the women's Super League without following any men's match from the Premier League.
The same trend was seen in motorsport.
1.5 million watched the W Series (racing series for women) without watching Formula 1 live.
The new TV audience also stuck to other women's sports in addition to their favorite sport.
Of almost five million new viewers of women's cricket "the Hundred", 71 percent continued on to other women's sports, especially tennis and football.
The report also shows that 5.9 million new viewers of the Super League had not watched any other sport in 2021 before the start of the football season.
Figures, such as those from England and other reports, have gained momentum in many media, showing a newly awakened, and sometimes a little dizzy, interest in women's sports.
In Sweden, Damallsvenskan is the clearest example.
Since 2017, we at SVT have shown "Match of the Week" from Damallsvenskan and at times people have told me that "Damallsvenskan is for public service, it is not a commercial product", despite the fact that the viewing figures for SVT's damallsvenska matches have been higher several times than in corresponding matches in the Allsvenskan for men.
Now, five years later, we see a whole new attitude.
In the autumn, the international, commercial television company NENT bought the rights to the Damallsvenskan for five years plus the World Cup in women's football in 2023.
And here are some other signs of the times for women's sports:
I also note that the ladies' Tour de France will be broadcast and distributed throughout Europe in a major television venture by, among others, the EBU and Discovery.
Just five years ago, we at SVT Sport were laughed out loud at a meeting in Europe when we proposed a joint European TV venture on women's bicycles.
Clearly, times are changing.
At the same time, there are no shortage of challenges.
A US report points to sports media as an area where women are missing, in the US, for example, 85 percent of all sports reporters are men.
At SVT Sport, we are 55 percent men and 45 percent women on the reporter side and SVT Sports' management team consists of four women and five men.
Another challenge for women's sports is to reach out widely and to many TV viewers, to be able to take a seat on major TV channels.
Being visible to as many people as possible is a key in the growth phase and here public service is often crucial with its great reach.
At the same time, pay-TV has an important function to fulfill, as they can often handle large broadcast volumes.
In Sweden, we see such a rights model when it comes to the Swedish women's hockey league, SDHL, where SVT broadcasts "Match of the Week" while C More broadcasts the majority of matches.
In 2022, we at SVT Sport will continue our work with a gender-equal sports coverage.
We are today a world leader in the field and we are grateful that we often have the opportunity to lecture and share the lessons we have learned over the years.
At the same time, we are not done and we have to work hard every day to succeed with our lofty goals.
Equal sports coverage does not come easily, but the work has only winners, we have learned that since 2015.
I hope you will be with us during the year.
Some of the highlights in SVT 2022 are the European Football Championship for women and the World Cup for men, the World Athletics and European Championships, the World Championships in equestrian sports, the European Championships week, the European Championships and World Championships in gymnastics, the Winter Studio with biathlon and Ski Classics and not least the Paralympics.
Well met.