Although the fanbase for women’s sports is on the rise and now reaches the millions for each major sport, there are still huge gender gaps that need to be addressed and closed.
One of these gaps is in media coverage. In 2020, 40% of sportspeople were women, but women’s sports only received 4% of media coverage. This disparity does not meet the interest of sports fans by a long shot. For instance, 84% of sports fans are interested in women’s sports and viewership rose by 300% in 2020. The media needs to get on board to give fans what they’re looking for.
Another area with a wide gender gap is in that of scholarships, expenditures, and pay. In NCAA Division 1 schools, over half of the students are women, but only 44% of athletic opportunities are for women, compared to 56% for men. Division 1 Football schools give women 29% of total athletic operating expenses ($1 for every $2.50 spent for men), 28% of recruiting dollars, and 39% of athletic scholarship dollars. Women also earn much less at only 63% of what their male counterparts earn.
In this age of gender equality, it’s time for women’s sports to raise the bar and catch up.
