More recently women have made a prominent impact in athletic spaces, from Caitlin Clark’s success on the court to our very own flag football team’s success last season, women are making their mark; and we’re here for it.
According to Forbes, PBS, NBC and sports business journal women sports are seeing an upsurge in viewership. Just last week the NCAA basketball tournament had more viewers than last year’s world series or NBA finals. At 14.2 million for just one NCAA game compared to the 8.91million views the world series got or the 11.4 million views the NBA finals got. But why the surge? What’s changed in these last few years to create such a dramatic shift?
Well, according to an interview with Claire Watkins, the host of the podcast “Just Women’s Sports”, Watkins explains how there are investments happening behind the camera that are helping boost the industry. News sources like ESPN are realizing the commercial value in women’s sports which in turn is helping them get more exposure. Alongside this, women are playing more aggressively and sort of mimicking the NBA’s style of play, which is further attracting viewers. Before wrapping up the interview Watkins includes a small yet important detail: the way women’s basketball is structured. Often, young girls find players when they first emerge and follow their career religiously, creating a stronger sense of community between the players and their fans.
In fact, the Sports Bra, the world’s first women’s sports bar, located in Portland already has over 51.1k followers on Instagram. Venues like these are also the reason viewership has increased exponentially. “I actually visited The Sports Bra when my family was in Portland and I was blown away. The vibe was incredible, the price was right, and the staff was amazing” (Anjani Bodar 12).
We’re even seeing this surge on our campus. The successful integration of the women’s flag football into our program is proof that the gap between men and women’s sports is closing. This gap is fostering a more inclusive and diverse athletic community, which will encourage more people to pursue their sport as a career. People are starting to realize that women are just as capable as men when it comes to athletics, and this culture shift, along with monetary motives has resulted in a very positive change that has and will continue to inspire thousands of young girls.
