Women's football has been peppered with ‘moments’. Moments that have – and will have – a genuine impact on future generations, like watching Chloe Kelly score the winner for England in last summer's unforgettable final. Moments that have truly felt like the beginning of something special.
Now in 2023, Google Pixel has taken up the mantle and is on a mission to increase the visibility of women’s football in a bid to further the game. How? By creating a content-making dream team that includes Alex Bailess, Abbi Summers, Mollie and Rosie Kmita and Samantha Miller – otherwise known as Pixel FC.
Individually, they are all talented footballers, presenters and content creators, but as a collective they'll be using the power of the Google Pixel 7 Pro to capture inspirational content to share with the world, including their coverage of this summer’s big football tournament.
Here, ELLE meets the inspiring trailblazers to talk tools of the trade, role models and what we can expect from them during the tournament and beyond.
Alex Bailess
Retired footballer Alex Bailess is now a content creator and videographer for her former club, Hashtag United.
At seven years old, Bailess knew she had found a community in which she belonged. ‘I remember going to Upton Park to watch West Ham play and the atmosphere was just so special,’ she says. But despite playing football for the local boys’ team, she didn’t believe it could be a career. Which is why she’s driving that change for the next generation.
‘Women’s football just felt so out of reach. I couldn’t relate, and I certainly never thought women could work in football. It’s really only in the last couple of years that I’ve realised how many roles there are in the game – both on and off the pitch.’
Bailess’s playing career was cut short in 2020 when she was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, which meant she had to stop playing. ‘I felt like I'd lost my identity – until my teammates bought me a camera. I started filming our match days and I remembered why I loved football in the first place: the camaraderie, winning and losing as a team and, mostly, the changing-room banter.’
Joining Pixel FC will give Alex the freedom to continue creating content that she is really proud of. ‘Pixel FC not only wants to create fantastic content, it also wants to support female content creators to grow, and to develop the women’s game. A bigger platform brings more fans, more engagement and, hopefully, more investment, which will up the level of the game.’
Mollie and Rosie Kmita
Twins and ex-professional footballers Mollie and Rosie Kmita are now a successful broadcasting duo, appearing on the likes of MOTDx and TalkSport.
Being an identical twin often means you'll know a thing or two about teamwork. For the Kmitas, having that innate camaraderie meant that even signing to different London clubs was a joint experience they relished.
But without strong female role models in the field, they admit it was a challenge to visualise what a career in women’s football could look like for them both. ‘It was hard knowing you wanted to pursue a career that you hadn't seen a woman do previously. Stepping into the media space was refreshing – to find women already paving the way.’
Representation is hugely important to the sisters. ‘We want our content to be fun and relatable. Being two women with Asian heritage, we hope to show other young girls from ethnic-minority backgrounds what's possible in the industry.’
Collaborating with Pixel FC is another huge milestone in their career, as the Kmitas know that investment in the women’s game is both long overdue and integral to its success. ‘We hope to help achieve Google Pixel’s ultimate goal, which is to give the women’s game the visibility it deserves. It's our way of giving back to the game that has given us so much in our own lives.’
Abbi Summers
With 47,000 Instagram followers, sports broadcaster Abbi Summers is looking forward to reporting from Australia and New Zealand later this month.
Staying true to herself and honouring the memory of her mum is what drives Summers, in life as well as in her career. A Tottenham FC season-ticket holder since she was eight, she grew up believing there wasn’t a role for women in the sport she loved.
‘Growing up, women’s football was pretty inaccessible and sadly, my school didn’t encourage girls to play. It was hard to imagine women’s football becoming mainstream because it was never given the platform,’ she shares. ‘Gabby Logan was a huge role model to me. To see her presenting iconic shows such as Match of the Day made me believe that one day, that could be me.’
Now, Summers can be found regularly hosting ESPN’s Football Forecast and 888sport’s The Playlist. ‘My mum passed away in April 2022, after a short battle with cancer. She was my biggest supporter, and it gave me the wake-up call I needed to follow my dreams. I’ve had to develop a thick skin, and fight hard for my voice to be heard, but I’m so proud to be a woman in sports media.’
Samantha Miller
With a playing career at both West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur under her belt, Samantha Miller is now a commentator, presenter and social-media sensation.
‘I started watching Arsenal Women at a young age and was so inspired by players like Rachel Yankey and Kelly Smith. Being a woman in sport takes huge sacrifice and commitment, I made it an ambition of mine to play at the highest level I could.’
As an advocate for women in sport, Miller takes great pride in her work and knows how important female role models are. ‘For me, it’s all about creating a community and bridging the gap between players and fans. I want to help elevate the women's game by giving it the coverage and exposure it deserves.’
When it comes to the capabilities of the Google Pixel 7 Pro, here's Pixel FC's take:
Photo Unblur: ‘I'm a big fan of Photo Unblur and the front-facing camera view, especially for group selfies, which will be great for the trip,’ says Summers.
Unbeatable detail: ‘The Super Res Zoom* makes capturing close-ups of players and fans, which is where you capture the most raw emotion, really easy,’ says Bailess. ‘It's also super-easy to operate and you can quickly switch between camera modes to keep up with the action.’
Quality shots: ‘The Google Pixel 7 Pro has definitely enhanced our content creating abilities,’ say the Kmitas. ‘It gives us confidence in the quality of everything we’re shooting – it delivers every time.’
Learn more about Google's Pixel FC today
*Not available for all camera apps or modes.
