Pien Meulensteen: ‘Self-belief got me through making Premier League history’

Pien Meulensteen made history as the first woman to commentate on a live Premier League match on Sky Sports.

Since then, she has built a football broadcasting career across Sky Sports, ITV Sport, the Women’s Super League, the EFL and major international tournaments.

Her work demands more than confidence on camera. Live football leaves little margin for hesitation, whether she is commentating through a 90-minute match, presenting in studio or responding to a producer’s countdown in her ear.

Preparation, composure and credibility matter every time the broadcast goes live.

Now an expert sports presenter, Pien uses her experience to speak about confidence, visibility and pressure in one of sport’s most scrutinised roles.

In this exclusive interview with the Inspirational Leadership Speakers Agency, Pien Meulensteen discusses becoming the first woman to commentate on a live Premier League game on Sky Sports, the importance of representation in football broadcasting, and what live television teaches you about preparation, pressure and self-belief.

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How self-belief carried Pien through a historic commentary moment

Question One: Becoming the first woman to commentate on a live Premier League game on Sky Sports put you in a spotlight few broadcasters ever face. How did that night change the way you viewed confidence?

Pien Meulensteen: “The biggest thing was the belief in myself to be able to do something on such a massive scale.

“I didn’t think about it that much beforehand because the pressure probably would have got to me.

“When I was in the moment, it was about making sure that I did the best possible job that I could do.

“I was as prepared as I possibly could be for that moment. I was trying to take it each game at a time.

“I’d done so many commentaries before that, but obviously not on that scale. So, I was trying to take it as a normal day-to-day as I could have done.

“Obviously, I understood the weight of what was happening behind me as well.

“I was really proud of myself to get through a big moment like that, and I was still so young at the time.

“It taught me so much about self-belief and knowing that I can get through it, that I can do a good job, and that I need to trust in my own instincts and ability.”

Why visibility matters for women in football broadcasting

Question Two: Football broadcasting has long been a difficult space for women to break into, especially at the top end of the game. What actually helps change that, beyond people simply talking about progress?

Pien Meulensteen: “The most important thing for me is seeing people that are like you.

“When I was a young girl, being able to watch or listen to the likes of Vicky Sparks or Jackie Oatley, who were commentating at the time, Kelly Cates, who was presenting on Sky Sports, and other media broadcasters as well.

“There was such a variety of people for me. To have women to look up to, especially in the industry, was so important.

“The fact that I felt like I was able to be in that space was purely from the visibility of seeing those presenters, commentators and reporters in those areas.

“The most important thing is visibility. It is making sure that you have people from the same background as you doing the job that show you that it is possible to go into that.

“Having that open space and, ultimately, whoever you are, you have a right to be in the career path that you want to be in if you put in the hard work, believe in yourself and trust in your own ability to do something.

“If you know that you can do a good job, no one should be saying that you don’t deserve to be there.

“It is important to show that there are so many of us out there that do lots of different things, and if you want to do something, then you should go for it.

“Having a group behind you is really important.”

The pressure and thrill of performing live on air

Question Three: Live football does not give presenters or commentators the luxury of a second take. What does it demand when the clock is ticking, the producer is in your ear and the audience is watching?

Pien Meulensteen: “Performing live on air is always tricky because you have that moment where you go through your rehearsals and then you’ll get the count in your ear that says 10 minutes to air, five minutes to air, and the build-up will start coming.

“Then you start getting a little bit nervous, but also excited, because you know you have to nail it.

“Say I’m doing a full commentary and it’s 90 minutes. There becomes a bit of warming up into the game and not reaching too high before you’ve even reached 10 minutes, because then you’ll have nowhere else to go. It is going with the flow.

“Similarly, when I’m presenting a TV programme, it is making sure that you have that energy, bringing that across onto the screen, onto people that are watching at home.

“Being on air, you have to get it right straight away, especially when you’re live, because there are no second takes.

“But it is okay to make mistakes. It shows that we’re human sometimes.

“I actually think it makes it a nicer programme when you can have a laugh at yourself and you don’t take yourself too seriously.

“That is important as well, where people will feel like they can relate to you.

“The most important thing is to have that trust that you know what you’re going to say.

“You prepared as much as possible, and the experience always helps. The more you do, the easier it’ll get and it won’t feel as daunting the next time that you go live on air.”

What Pien hope audiences take from her story

Question Four: When you speak to audiences away from the gantry or studio, what do you want them to take from your story?

Pien Meulensteen: “I hope that they feel like it’s been a relaxing experience for them, that they have been engaged throughout the whole thing and that they have learned something.

“Not just from me, but hopefully something that we have given to them, whether that’s on stage, on screen or behind a microphone.

“That it is engaging for them, that they are interested in listening to what we have to say, and that they’ve been entertained the whole time.

“It’s more about being fun and just being myself.

“Hopefully that is reflected in the way that I’m speaking and the job that I do.”

This exclusive interview with Pien Meulensteen was conducted by Tabish Ali of the Motivational Speakers Agency.

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