This content collaboration between Google Pixel and ITV Sport directly tackled the glaring broadcast gap in UK women's football coverage and the severe under -representation of female sports journalists.

Moving beyond traditional sponsorship, Google Pixel’s Pixel FC and Pixel FC Academy programmes were seamlessly integrated as an editorial voice within ITV’s England Women's football coverage.

A little background

• Women’s football is growing, but major gaps remain: 23,000 fewer hours of TV coverage than the men’s game - equal to 2.5 years of silence.

• In 2023, just 13% of sports journalism students were female.

• Google Pixel launched Pixel FC in 2023 - a collective of female creators promoting the women’s game. In 2024, Pixel FC Academy  followed, offering training and real-world opportunities.

EssenceMediacom invited ITV to amplify this initiative through an ad-funded programming partnership.

Our Insight

ITV Sport has played a key role in bringing women’s football to the mainstream with rights deals, record-breaking coverage, and pundits like Eni Aluko, Alex Scott and Karen Carney.

To supercharge Google Pixel FC and Academy, we needed to give their aspiring female creators the visibility and credibility only a national TV platform could provide. This wasn’t just exposure - it was about amplifying their voices on the biggest stage.

The Big Idea

In a first-of-its-kind content partnership, Google Pixel’s FC Academy wouldn’t just partner with ITV - it would become part of its coverage.

With unrivalled access, female Pixel creators joined the ITV Sport team pitch-side, in the studio, and across digital platforms to follow the Lionesses on their road to Euro 2025.

Making it happen

As the foundation, Google Pixel took headline sponsorship of ITV's England Women's Football across 11 matches, including Euro 2025 qualifiers.

This included contextual idents featuring 6 x Pixel FC members, including Pixel FC Academy co-founders Mollie and Rosie Kmita. Shot in an ITV Sport-style studio, the idents established these important new football voices.

We co-produced The Final Comment: a reactive, digital-first series where Pixel FC members worked alongside established pundits like Karen Carney. In a role reversal, Karen asked Academy members for their post-match commentary (filmed exclusively on Google Pixel) to encourage more new female football voices.

Travelling to matches across the country (from Wembley to Coventry to Sheffield), the Pixel FC team captured pitch-side reactions just minutes after the final whistle. This was fast, fresh, social-first content: shot at night, edited overnight, and published the next morning across ITV Football’s social channels including Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, and YouTube.

The Final Comment is the first time a commercial partner has appeared within ITV Sport's social output - adding editorial weight to the Academy.

Beyond broadcast, Pixel FC Academy members received tailored workshops, mentoring, and immersive training, to inspire the next generation of female football creators and broadcasters.

The results

Pixel FC awareness soared to 34% among viewers (vs 6% for non-viewers). Ad recall reached 58% among viewers (vs 38% for non-viewers). Google Pixel consideration surged to 60% among viewers (vs 44% for non-viewers).

The Final Comment garnered over 300,000 views, averaging 30,000+ per post (far exceeding ITV Sport's expectations).

Proof of a content partnership that not only elevated the brand but also began to level the playing field for aspiring female voices in sport.

Best Use of Content: £250k - £750k

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