It is undeniable that the total time of men’s sports broadcasted on television eclipses that of women’s. This essay seeks to elucidate the factors underpinning this phenomenon, therefore justifying the overwhelming amount of male sports content compared to their female counterparts.
As television channels selectively choose the most profitable content to broadcast, men’s sports have always been one of their top contenders. Genetically, men’s physical capabilities when honed to the highest limits almost invariably outperform women’s by a large margin. Thus, their sports shows feature more dynamic, attention-grabbing moments, proving to be captivating for a large audience. Moreover, various corporations rely on such notable highlights to advertise their branding. This is achieved either by producing cinematic advertisements featuring famous athletes, or sponsoring sports events, teams, and programs. In essence, the visual appeal from men’s sports drive a larger economy than women’s sports does, and so naturally gains more streaming time on TV channels.
Although the past few decades saw a rise in successful female athletes and increased inclusivity through international events such as the Olympic Games, men’s sports still remain dominant. Corporations deem female athletes as less profitable in advertisements, as their career can be abruptly ended by marriage, whereas male competitors can play well into their 40’s. As a result, despite sportswoman being better than ever in history, the sports economy and media coverage still favours men. Therefore, TV channels are simply unable to erase this misogyny, as they would be impeding the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars were they to give both genders’ sports equal screen time.
In conclusion, while the idea of equal time on TV channels for both men and women’s sports sound attractive, as long as the market forces and the lucrativeness of the male sports sector prevails, men’s sport will likely maintain its superiority on televisions.