The mainstream media has been unequally occupied with sports for male audience; meanwhile, women’s sports have been paid far less attention. From my perspective, this phenomenon is a result of both gender stereotypes and TV channels’ quest for monetary benefits. However, a prolonged continuation of it may lead to escalated gender discrimination; therefore, media coverage of women’s sports should be made equal to those for men.
It is commonly held that sports are designated for the stronger and more muscular cohort – men – which can be rectified in the large number of men participating in and watching sports worldwide. By contrast, people often make stereotypes of women as having less preference for sports events, which result in the limited coverage of sports channels dedicated to them. Another reason behind the asymmetry in the coverages of men’s and women’s sports is financial merits. In order to boost the revenue, television channels broadcasting sports matches rely heavily on commercial contracts signed with their investors. As a result, they have to prioritize men’s sports over those for women since the former earns a far higher viewership. For instance, the World Cup Finals have the number of viewers in the billions, whilst the Women’s World Cup’s viewership is quite humble.
However, TV channels should pay more attention to the women’s sports coverage as this may help to bridge the gender gap, which is one of the most concerning issues at present. By allowing women’s sports events to receive an equitable coverage as its counterpart, television channels are joining hands in resolving the underrepresentation of the feminine group in sports, thereby removing gender disparity and long-established preconceived biases against women playing and viewing sports. On top of that, as women’s sports catch on and the viewership increases, these sports channels are the direct benefactors, yielding significant revenues from advertisements.
In summary, gender stereotypes and the aspiration for profits trigger imbalanced coverages of women’s and men’s sports. Nevertheless, the media should bring this phenomenon to a termination by allocating equal air time for both so as to promote gender equality and generate more financial benefits.