Volume 18, Issue 3, August 2015, Pages 331–342
Abstract
The
2012 London Olympic Games were heralded as the “Year of the Woman” as
every delegation sent a female athlete to compete in the games, and
nearly 45% of all athletes were women. Indeed, sport participation
amongst girls and women is currently at an all-time high, and these
sportswomen deliver remarkable athletic performances. However, female
athletes and women's sport still receive starkly disparate treatment by
the sport media commercial complex compared to male athletes and men's
sport. This review documents these qualitative and quantitative
differences and discusses the negative impact this differential coverage
has on consumer perceptions of women's sport and female athletes.
Additionally, the author examines explanations for these differences.
The review concludes with suggestions for future research and strategies
for change.
Keywords
- Female athletes;
- Women's sport;
- Media;
- Marketing
Published by Elsevier Ltd.
