Erin Ferreira and Stephanie Christie: Teammates on and off the court

Producing with purpose, mentoring with impact – how Erin Ferreira and Stephanie Christie are changing the game at Fox Netball and beyond 

From their first meeting as mentor and mentee in Foxtel Group’s Women in Sports Media Graduate Program to launching Fox Netball together, Erin Ferreira, Executive Producer – Fox Netball and Statistics, and Stephanie Christie, Senior Producer, have been teammates both on and off the court.

Through talent, drive and a shared belief in the power of storytelling, the pair has helped redefine how women’s sport is covered – while building a culture that celebrates learning, leadership and excellence.

“Erin has just been inspiring and supportive since literally the first day, and that has never, ever wavered,” says Stephanie. “She set the vision from the start – that we were going to create a top-tier product for these incredible female athletes, because they deserve it.”

“When you uncover the stories of these elite athletes, you create a link, an icon for the viewer,” Erin explains. “It’s an integral piece of the content puzzle – when they’re talking about them, they’re watching them too.”

And people are talking about them.

As the 2025 Netball season kicks off after three consecutive years of record-breaking audience growth, and Stephanie steps into her new role as Senior Producer, we take a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to produce sport – and the impact of mentoring when it’s done right.

From graduate to game-changing sports producer

Stephanie’s story starts by taking a chance.

“I remember I was at a bit of a crossroads,” she explains. “I’d just finished uni where I’d been studying Communications, majoring in media arts and production, and International Studies. "I did not know what I was going to do. I was actually working as a full-time production runner, which is as glamorous as it sounds.

“I did know I wanted to pursue media. I also knew I loved sport – I was a Rooster from birth.

“My dad just absolutely loves rugby league, and he grew up as a diehard Roosters supporter. He always had the footy on growing up, and if we weren’t watching the TV, it was on the radio. So, it was always ingrained in me.

“That passion for rugby league has lasted my whole life. I was always very sporty as well – I played touch footy, I played netball, I played a lot of basketball.”

That’s when Stephanie came across her dream graduate role.

“I saw the ad for the Fox Sports Women in Sports Media Graduate Program, and I just knew. What the opportunity offered married the two things I loved together perfectly. I said to myself, ‘I’m probably not going to get it, but I have to go for it.’”

And so Stephanie applied – never thinking she’d actually get the role but knowing she’d regret not trying.

“And then somehow, I kept getting through each round of the application.

“And then when I got it, it was one of the best days of my life,” she smiles. “It was my foot in the door.

“The program is so great because you get to rotate to different departments and just really see what's right for you.

"I always had my sights set on being a producer, but I got to rotate through Production and then Content Acquisitions and Sports Partnerships, which was incredible. I gained so much knowledge from experiencing areas of the business – it gave me a much more holistic overview of how the company works."

“It also gave me the opportunity to build so many connections you wouldn’t usually get the opportunity to build, connections I still have to this day.”

Erin is also clear on the value – and the rigour – of the Women in Sports Media Graduate Program.

With over 20 years of experience in sports broadcasting working on some of the biggest sporting events in the world – including FIFA World Cups, Rugby World Cups, and Olympic games – Erin brings a world of experience to Foxtel Group, and to mentoring.

Her career started as a Production Assistant in Johannesburg, South Africa. Rising through the ranks of sports broadcasting, she joined Foxtel Group in 2019 as a Producer before swiftly being promoted to a Senior Producer, and then Executive Producer Fox Netball and Statistics – becoming the first female Executive Producer at Fox Sports.

“I am proud and equally humbled by the position I currently hold,” Erin says of the achievement.

“I love working across both Fox Netball and the Statistics team, otherwise known as the Fox Sports Lab – they’re both different but alike in that they are catered towards live production, live magazine shows and really building a unique identity for Fox Sports. With Fox Netball, it’s been great to be part of the creative process from inception to execution, and to get to bring along some great people to be part of building something so special that creates such an impact out there in the market.

“On the other side, the Fox Sports Lab has an amazing legacy of creating bespoke analytical content. And as a member of the senior leadership team, I get to be involved in strategic business alignment – what we’re trying to build, how we build it, and how we get our team on the journey with us. So, from the technical side to the creative side to the leadership side, it’s a bit of everything in my role and every day is at the cutting edge of production and broadcasting.

“Initiatives like the Women in Sports Media Graduate Program are an incredibly important part of building that future,” Erin explains. “There’ll be a number of women in this industry that probably have similar stories to me and have gone through similar things and have trail blazed their own ways and their own paths into getting to where they are. And there probably will continue to be.

“A graduate program is a way to structure that experience and a framework to take away all of the stigma around it. Break those walls down, help get those feet in the door – but also get them to a level where they’re being trained up as contributing members of a department and a team. It’s not a free pass. It’s come in, earn your stripes, and let’s get your skills up and see where you can take it."

“Women who have come through this pathway have gone on to grow and develop beyond that program, working across cricket, NRL, netball, and Fox Sports News. Crucially, graduate programs get the wider business invested in their success – because without the other woman and men in this industry supporting those wanting to come in and learn we're not going to be able to break down those barriers and boundaries. Being able to create relationships, give skillsets, build contacts and networks – that’s what breaks down barriers.

“I know what they’re going through because I was there too. And I know what paths they’re trying to forge and what they’re trying to create. So am I proud to be an Executive Producer? Yes – but an Executive Producer is just a title. I’m proud to be a member of a department and a business that really cares about me and where I’m going and what I’m trying to create."

“Without the program, I don’t think I’d be where I am today – or at least not at the speed I’ve gotten here,” adds Stephanie.

The impact of mentoring

Stephanie and Erin’s relationship began as a formal mentoring match as part of the Women in Sports Media Graduate Program – but grew into something that lasted beyond it.

“Erin’s taught me so much, but she's also really let me be my own person here as well as continuing to support me,” Stephanie explains.

For Stephanie, the mentorship has been a source of stability through the highs of a career in sports broadcasting, and through the challenges.

“Live production is high pressure,” she says. “Things go wrong. Erin’s been the one I call when I’m unsure – and she’s always helped me work through it.”

“Mentoring is two-way,” Erin says. “I’ve probably gained the most from learning not just about myself, but from Steph and others I have mentored. You build a solutions-based strategy together – you’re both accountable.”

Mentoring has also been a source of learning and inspiration for Stephanie.

“When I started at Foxtel Group, Erin was a Producer,” Stephanie says. “She works so hard, and she’s had a meteoric rise."

"I learned so much just by watching her operate – how she prioritises, what she lets others figure out, how she manages her time. Those are such important skills in our industry."

"Seeing how she functions and communicates with others – especially in a very male-dominated office – I’ve grown so much just by observing that."

“And you’ve seen me hightailing it at 2 o’clock in the afternoon to go and pick the kids up from school – I’m out the door,” Erin laughs. “Bye, Steph.”

“Erin is a mum,” Stephanie explains. “She knows what she has to do to maintain balance, and she doesn’t shy away from it. Like we said, it’s a male-dominated industry – so these things aren’t exactly the norm. She’s led the way in so many ways.”

“In my first job interview here, I told them clearly – I’m a mum,” Erin says. “I have no support base in the country, so I had to really back myself because I wanted the job so badly. I’d been waiting for my visa to be approved, and I was missing that sense of individuality, that sense of ownership.

“I’ve worked my whole life and I needed it back and I knew that I needed to impress. But I had to stay true to myself. I thought they might say ‘thanks, but no thanks’ – but instead, they said, ‘Just get the job done.’ It was a redefining moment in my career."

“That message has stayed with me ever since. So anyone struggling with that conversation – back yourself in that one moment. Be authentic. Make the call. It might change everything.”

“She’s led the way in so many ways, and that just makes me feel so much more comfortable for my future – knowing she’s already carved out that path,” adds Steph.

Over time, Erin encouraged Stephanie to connect with other mentors too – a move that’s broadened her thinking.

For anyone interested in taking part in mentoring, be it through a structured program or informally, Erin’s advice is to go for it if you are genuine.  

“I think people, especially in our industry and especially in this building, are incredibly open to assisting other people when they see that it's for a genuine reason and that they genuinely want to gather some insight,” Erin says.

“We often joke that our industry is cloaked behind a curtain of doubt and that people don't understand what we do, how we do it, and why we do it. So go ask those questions and maybe you'll find an opportunity to learn something else from somebody else.”

It's an approach that has paid off for it in Stephanie’s case.

“When I look at my biggest achievements, launching Fox Netball together with Erin is up there.  I just feel like from the start we set the bar high in terms of innovation and quality,” she reflects.

“Being part of the production for the NRLW is also really special to me because I grew up with rugby league – and pushing that game forward for women is amazing.”

Her face lights up when asked what her sports-mad family thinks of her job.

“They think it’s really great. My dad calls me at work like, ‘So what’s happening? What did they say about the Roosters?’ And I have to say, ‘Dad – the talent aren’t literally sitting next to me in the office all day!’"

“Erin always says to bring them in one day to actually see how we operate. It’s like a big newsroom – I’m in the control room, I’ve got the headset on, I’m talking to everyone. The producer is in charge of everything you see on the screen.”

"And now they record all of the shows I produce and watch it back and send me photos. So does my husband. So yeah, it’s really special.”

“She is absolutely conquering it one week at a time and doing a great job,” adds Erin.

Building the future

 

What they’ve built is ambitious, fast-moving, and future-focused. The 2025 Netball season features broadcast innovations like microphones on the nets, new indexing tools in stats, and a fresh commentary team – including current Super Netball players like Kate Moloney, Eleanor Cardwell, and Paige Hadley.

“It’s about engaging our audience in new ways,” Erin explains. “People want insight from the players who’ve been in it. That’s the value we’re bringing this year.”

For Erin, the real impact is in the moments that last.

“We create specific moments in sports broadcasting that last forever. Someone at home might be talking about that one moment years from now – and we were part of making it. That’s the magic.”

This season, Stephanie has stepped up again as Senior Producer.

“As Producer, I lead the rundown, prep the graphics, talk to talent, and then on the day, I’ve got the headset on in the control room – talking to everyone at once. It’s an adrenaline rush. Every moment matters.”

Since last year, Pivot has expanded to a full hour – a creative milestone Stephanie’s particularly proud to lead, as she has produced the program from its inception.

“It means we can really dig into the headlines that deserve time,” she shares.

“We’re telling deeper stories, and bringing in new voices – that’s the most exciting part.”

With the 2025 season in full swing, Erin and Stephanie are focused on impact – not just on-air, but behind the scenes, and across the industry.

“We’re building something that’s sustainable – not just a moment, but a movement,” says Stephanie. “Producing any show, any sport – that’s my next challenge. I want to keep learning and growing.”

For Erin, it’s legacy that drives her. “What do we want people to say, in the years to come, about the content and moments we've steered to televisions around the world – how good was that?”

And for those hoping to follow in their footsteps?

“Back yourself,” Erin says. “Have the conversation. Ask the question. Take that one step. Because that might be the thing that changes your whole career.”

Watch every match of the 2025 Suncorp Super Netball Season from 5 April to 2 August LIVE and ad-break free during play on Kayo Sports, Foxtel and now for the first time, on BINGE. All Sunday matches will also be available live on Kayo Freebies.