Elevating the Coverage of Women’s Sports
Professional female athletes, such as WNBA, NWSL, and NWHL players, work just as hard as male athletes in their equivalent fields; however, there is a major discrepancy between the two.
The Media Coverage Gap in Women’s Sports
Female athletes are overlooked and underrepresented when it comes to the world of social media and overall media coverage.
According to Kumar, “In 2019, female athletics only accounted for approximately 5.4% of airtime on live television, only slightly higher than the 5% calculated in 1989” (par 4). With 40% of athletes being female, the coverage they are receiving does not equate.
Since 2020, there has been a notable rise in the presence of female athletes in media and social media coverage; however, the rise does not place the coverage close to where male athletes sit.
As reported by the writing staff at Change Our Game (2024) the coverage of women’s sports increased from 15% to 20% from 2022-23 to 2023-24. While the increase seems significant, 75% of sports coverage is in men’s sports.
Two pie charts showing the coverage of sports news by gender for 2022-23 and 2023-24. The 2022-23 chart shows 81% men's sport (dark gray), 15% women's sport (red), and 4% other (yellow). The 2023-24 chart shows 75% men's sport, 20% women's sport, and 5% other, indicating an increase in coverage of women's sports.
These statistics highlight the persistence in inequality in the coverage of women’s sports, even after years of progression in women’s sports media presence.
A Personal Mission to Elevate Female Athletes
As a public relations professional with a specialty in sports, my goal is to take my experience to elevate the coverage of women’s sports in the media. Currently, I am an intern for Penn State Teammates For Life – a women athlete initiative.
TFL has three main pillars – engaging, elevating and celebrating – that we use to drive the female athletes at Penn State to success and a higher platform.
My experiences have equipped me with the knowledge to elevate female athletes at all levels, ensuring their stories are not only told, but also given the platform to be heard.
Growing up, I was an avid supporter of the WNBA – watching Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, and Candace Parker take over the league – I was inspired to make their names known. I saw their talent, but I also saw the way kids at school would make fun of the league.
Early on, I knew I was going to be a part of that change. While the change in media coverage has begun, it is not close to being a finished battle. From now, until equality has been reached, I will work to elevate female athletes who have been hidden for so long.
References:
Kumar, S. (2025, February 6). Queue the cameras: The struggle for gender equality in sports media. The Harvard Independent. https://harvardindependent.com/queue-the-cameras-the-struggle-for-gender-equality-in-sports-media/ harvardindependent.com+1
Victoria. Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions. (2024). The conversation of sport: Representation of women in sports news coverage 2023-24. Victorian Government Library Service. https://changeourgame.vic.gov.au/insights/the-conversation-of-sport-2023-24 National Library of Australia
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