Where are the Women on the Field?

Written by Coco Cameron

Branding Executive

Photo courtesy of Olympics.com.

Have you ever turned on your TV to watch the latest sports game? Between the Old Spice commercial and a pick six play, you notice something. Where are the women? It's 2025, why are there no women on the field covering the game? Simple answer: underrepresentation. 

Breaking into this industry in the 1980’s, the inequity women face 45 years later is notable. Men and women can go to the same school, learn how to cover the same sport and be on the same sports channel, yet men are still viewed as superior. Women are constantly faced with the “Glass Ceiling"—a barrier that limits individuals from rising to higher positions within their company and in their professions, especially ones that are male-dominated. 

Apart from this, when women are reporting on the field, they are often sexualized by their audience or co-workers and receive more attention for their looks, as opposed to their knowledge of the game. Rebecca Adams, a Sports Presenter for BBC News, once was told by a producer, “The channel don’t care if you don’t know what you’re talking about, as long as you look glamorous.” Whether it's the glass ceiling or being objectified, women are constantly dismissed in the sports industry. 

The root of this issue stems from harmful assumptions with female involvement in sports media: women are not qualified because they did not play the sport, top positions are for men only and the sports industry is only for men, whether it's playing or announcing. All of these are WRONG! 

Women have been undermined by society for years, not only dealing with assumptions daily, but also having to be careful and conscious of their actions. If women are determined to achieve their goals, they can be seen as “pushing too hard.” If a woman makes a mistake on air—which everyone does—it stands out more and may be the end of her career, while for a male, it would simply be a mistake. Women looking to have a family can lose their jobs once they return, as stations fill part-time spots. Announcers including Jenny Taft from Fox Sports, Colleen Wolfe from NFL Network and Malika Andrews from NBA Today have all been brushed aside because of how driven they are to succeed within the industry.

Most recently, in the 2024 Paris Olympics, there were some developments in female representation. Before the games, the Olympic Broadcasting Services hired 35 additional female commentators, increasing their total to 40% of female representation, compared to males at 60%. While watching the games, viewers saw the increase in female representation on the field. Whether it be former champions covering events or women from different networks co-hosting with their male co-workers, these are advancements in the right direction.  

So, why does this matter? Students who are women are hoping to make it on the big screen one day. While there are many factors involved, it is up to the current and aspiring Generation Z sports enthusiasts to change this. 

So the question remains, what steps are you going to take to change these assumptions for the future?