3 Ways ESPN Misrepresents Women In The Sports Industry

It is clear as day that there is a deficit when it comes to the double standards of views and treatments between men and women in the sport’s world. It is also unfortunate that female athletes are sexualized by not only their male counterparts, but also commentators and fans alike. This continues to deter women and sports from becoming one entity, as most people are incapable of seeing a woman be exceptional in a male dominated sport.

1. ESPN Magazine Covers

Via wordpress.com

As shown in the ESPN magazine covers above, we can clearly see the gender bias against female athletes. Historically, ESPN has mainly preferred to feature male athletes representing not only their team, but also their strong physique. However, when it comes to female athletes the difference is almost uncanny. For the most part, the women are not shown to represent their team and at times barely even the sport they excel in.

2. SportsCenter's Lack of Coverage on Women's Sports

AP PHOTO/JEFF ROBERSON

Even though viewers’ interest on women’s sports continues to rise, ESPN’s SportsCenter’s coverage of female sports only accounted for 2% of its airtime in 2014, according to a 25-year longitudinal study of gender in televised sports.

3. ESPN's Website Structure

ESPN’s website structure shows gender bias by showcasing predominantly male athletes on their main website and by having a separate website to specifically portray female athletes.

The more well-known ESPN showcases predominantly male athletes on their website, and then outcasts all female athletes to ESPNw. This is a problem, as most fans and followers naturally seek anything sports related to the aforementioned website, without even taking a second glance at ESPNw.