BT Sport to celebrate International Women's Day with 24 hours of content championing female athletes

BT Sport will mark International Women's Day 2021 with 24 hours of programming dedicated to celebrating female athletes across the globe, both past and present.

Millions of women in our country love sport and live sport. 

We've been honoured to be the home of the FA Women's Super League and the WTA. We've showcased elite sportswomen in boxing, UFC, WWE, hockey and cricket, and celebrated the impact and achievements of female athletes in our annual Action Woman Awards.

On screen, we have brilliant and passionate female broadcasters. Behind the camera too, we're proud of the talented women - in roles which include producers, camera operators, sound engineers, creatives and production managers - who make BT Sport what it is.

But this is a journey. We know there's more we can do, and should do, at all levels, to make women in sport and sports broadcasting inspiring to girls and representative of the society that we live in.

So on International Women's Day, BT Sport is taking the opportunity to pay homage to the sportswomen and brilliant broadcasters that enrich our sport, our shows and help make us a better team.

This is not a one-off day. This is us. The women you're watching on BT Sport today, and those behind the camera, are part of our team - they're integral and important to who we are.  We say to those who show resistance and hostility to women in sport that BT Sport is not a channel for you.

We're excited to present a great evening of live football for you tonight, in the company of some outstanding experts. And we look forward to what's to come, as we continue to work together to make sport a more open and inclusive place for everyone who shares our passion. 

What's on BT Sport on IWD?

BT Sport will air 24 hours of women’s content across the channels – no matter what time you tune in, you’ll be able to watch women’s sport programming. Check out our TV Guide for the full listings.

In the evening, live coverage of Chelsea's clash with Everton in the Premier League will be directly followed by the FA Women's Super League fixture between Bristol City and Reading.

Presenters Lynsey Hipgrave and Clare Balding will be fronting our coverage, with a panel of pundits including Eni Aluko, Faye White and Reshmin Chowdhury and co-commentators Lucy Ward and Siobhan Chamberlain providing insight and analysis.

Check out our TV Guide for more information.

Chelsea v Everton, BT Sport 1 HD from 5.30pm

Bristol City v Reading, BT Sport 1 HD from 8.15pm

The Rise of Women's MMA: From Never to Now

BT Sport will air two exclusive new pieces of content to round off International Women's Day immediately after the Premier League and FAWSL double header.

The Rise of Women's MMA: From Never to Now documents the strides made by women in MMA, a decade since UFC president Dana White claimed women would “never” fight inside the Octagon.

Produced by Ella Meadowcroft and hosted by Caroline Pearce alongside UFC analyst Laura Sanko and Molly McCann, the first English woman to win in the UFC, this show tells the story of how women’s MMA has led the way for sporting equality and given us some of the sport’s most incredible moments.

BT Sport 1 HD from 11pm

The Rise of Women in WWE

Former WWE Women's Champion Paige is joined by Charlotte Flair and NXT UK Women's Champion Kay Lee Ray as they discuss the journey that the women's division has been on in WWE.

From fighting to main eventing an episode of Raw, to eventually main eventing WrestleMania, the last decade has seen a seismic shift in the way women are represented on WWE programming.

This programme will give an insight to Paige, Charlotte and Kay Lee Ray's experiences and feelings as these momentous changes in the company happened around them. 

BT Sport 1 HD from 10.30pm