Many people believe that women’s sports started becoming popular because women started playing better. However, the recent spike in viewership for women's sport has naturally driven to the surface by casual viewers. Basketball, track, tennis, gymnastics, and other sports have consistently increased viewership over the last few years. Why? Due to Marketability and exposure.
In March 2021, Sedona Prince, Oregon basketball player revealed the unfair treatment that women’s basketball players experienced during March Madness. The women’s teams that made it to the pinnacle of collegiate basketball season were met with inadequate weight rooms, poor food quality and options, and lackluster merchandise and gear.
While the men had climate-controlled weight rooms, 5-star buffets, and Nike's latest Spring Men’s collection as gear. Many female players reposted and backed up Prince’s claims while their male counterparts admitted their shock and remorse for the conditions. This became problematic, sending the media world into a spiral as it was splattered across every social media, and news outlet across the country.
As explained by Bomani Jones on HBO’s Game Theory, this resulted in the NCAA hiring an outside firm to study the NCAA men’s and women’s tournament – The Kaplan Report. This led to finding large inequity between the two, primarily due to the way the NCAA has structured media rights for March Madness of which had a “direct…impact on the…experience of women players.”
Rights to the women’s tournament had been sold for $34 million when it was projected to be worth as much as $112 million per year. How can media outlets, advertisers, sponsors, and other financiers from these events justify investing more money through social media campaigns, commercials, banners?
Women’s sports do not lack the strategy, physicality, or competitiveness that makes people parade in the streets. Instead, it is the fact that people do not hear about or see women’s sports. However female athletes such as; Angel Reese, Sha'carri Richardson, and Olivia Dunne still managed to do so. These phenomenal athletes managed to make headlines due to their impressive metrics, but also their ability to maintain a brand.
Social media has made it possible for female athletes to make themselves visible to the public eye. They can interact with opponents off the court to create a rivalry that makes people want to tune in to ESPN to see who wins. They can talk to fans and establish a rapport that makes people want to watch and follow more actively. They can work outside of the traditional media outlets to expand their reach and be more optimizing to brands.
In 2021, Sha’Carri Richardson attracted many viewers for the USA Track & Field Golden Games with her vibrant hair styles and extravagant nails running at a record time. Many photos were trending of Sha’Carri Richardson during that time on social media platforms. Last month, people were switching between their phones and their TVs to see whether the TikTok ‘beef’ between LSU and South Carolina would translate to the Final Four matchup or to see their favorite TikTok dancer in action.
Social media has also made it better for women athletes over the years to gain recognition from the public, but more importantly support from male counterpartners. It's always beneficial for both sides when people see their favorite football player cosign a female track star or a solidified basketball phenom like Shaq defend a female basketball champion over competitiveness.
More and more girls have joined soccer after the United States Women’s National Soccer Team brought back four titles. More little girls are trying tennis while Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff show that there is room for them on that stage. Female athletes are creating their own reality and people want to live in it.
As great as this is, unfortunately women have to create an entire world to receive fairness and due opportunities, and people are taking notice. 2023 UH Women’s Volleyball advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, and UH Athletics social media pages followed them throughout their journey.
The NCAA has put in more resources towards women athletics with commercials, banners, sponsorships, shout outs, and social media campaigns. Women have been putting in the work. However, this is retroactive equity. Today, women are not eligible for the WNBA Draft until they’ve graduated college or turn 22, unlike their male counterparts who only need to be 19. This is in effort to make up for the pay gap and the disproportionality of seats. The WNBA only has 12 teams compared to the NBA’s 30; therefore, they only have 36 open spots to seat.
Many women don’t declare the draft in fear of flooding the draft but recently, because they get paid more in college through NIL than they would as a rookie in the WNBA. However, they have to stunt or stagnate their basketball career if they decide not to go pro. This is seen a lot in women’s sports where there is a large chasm between collegiate and pro levels. However, female athletes are trying to make sports a sustainable and viable career; rather than giving up because of lack of support and mistreatment.
Women have the metrics, the titles, the championships, and the fans. They’ve shown that all they need is views, support and space to continue to do so, and people are starting to take notice and action!
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