- Previously assumed that women’s sports only received 4% of coverage
- Women’s share of sports media coverage could reach 20% by 2025
- Streaming coverage increased by an average of 4,000 hours per year between 2018 and 2022
Women’s sports currently accounts for 15 per cent of sports media coverage in the US, according to a study conducted by agency giant Wasserman’s The Collective division.
According to the report, which was produced in partnership with ESPN Research, the increase in women’s sports content has been driven by the growth of streaming platforms and social media. Indeed, coverage of women’s sports on streaming services was found to have increased by an average of 4,000 hours per year between 2018 and 2022.
The growth of women’s sports programming on streaming platforms was attributed to the ability of those services to show multiple competitions simultaneously, without the need to compromise from a scheduling perspective in the same way that linear TV networks might have to.
The Collective found that linear TV coverage of women’s sport was often scheduled at the same time as men’s leagues, which risks cannibalising viewership. For example, between 2018 and 2022, the report noted that women’s sports properties were often broadcast on Sundays during the first and fourth quarter of the year, meaning they were going up against the likes of the National Football League (NFL).
The new headline figure represents a significant increase compared to previous research, which has led to a long-held and widely accepted view that women’s sports only receive four per cent of coverage. If growth continues at the same rate as the last five years, The Collective estimates that women’s sports could comprise 20 per cent of sports media coverage by 2025.
“This data powerfully begs a reassessment of the opportunity around women’s sports – to meet fans where their passions live and their consumption habits converge,” said Wasserman’s executive vice president of global insights, Shelley Pisarra. “New perspective can perpetuate a growth cycle that will result in greater economic growth for players, leagues, brands, properties and audiences alike.
“Persistent, incorrect assumptions of lower media representation for women’s sports have created hesitancy around investment, whereas truth will spark opportunity. Coverage of sports has definitely evolved across platforms, requiring new approaches to and support for women’s sports advancement.”
The report also highlights that social media conversations focused on women’s sports increased to an 18.5 per cent share of all sports-related conversations in 2022. The most equitable share of post volume came from Olympic and collegiate accounts, which likely was down to the increased number of women’s competitions.
Meanwhile, collegiate sports competitions were found to drive the most coverage of women’s sports, largely because of the sheer number of events. Official college TV networks were found to offer the highest share of women’s coverage on linear broadcasts, while NCAA-affiliated tournaments accounted for three of the top five most-covered women’s sports on streaming platforms.
As a result of college basketball’s popularity, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) benefitted in being the most popular women’s competition on social media in 2022.
However, unlike at the collegiate level, the report cautions that women’s competitive representation is still lacking professionally, where 92 per cent of total sporting events in the US are men’s competitions. The study therefore highlights that more women’s professional sports competitions need to be made available in order for the media coverage divide to narrow further.