I could’ve chose any woman to place above but I selfishly had to put up Skylar Diggins because I’m not sure of many things in the world better than her. But today is about some new business and a subject that strays from my usual M.O. I love sports and today’s topic is about the business of sports and how we the fans view it.
This past Sunday I got into a great debate about the equality of women in sports.
In particular, the debate stemmed from the idea that women should be paid as much as their male counterparts. I would side with this statement if professional athletes were paid solely for their productivity. In the normal 9-5 ham and egger workplace I do feel women should paid as much as men. Professional sports is simply different.
Professional sports is a business.
The main rule of business is to turn a profit. The profitable professional sports that involve women are highlighted and broadcasted more. They make money and the stars of those sports earn a great living. The women who don’t make the money they should in most sports are a victim of the economics. That’s just my thinking.
The television deals being shelled out for male dominated sports to be broadcasted are ridiculous.
In 2011 the Los Angeles Lakers signed a twenty year deal with Time Warner worth four billion dollars. Four billion! Part of the deal is to launch both English and Spanish regional networks. The money that’s put up front for these teams lend itself to one thing. It’s all about demand. In this example the Lakers were in demand and Time Warner wanted to exclusively lock them down for their own reasons.
Major networks like ESPN strike deals across many sports teams all of the time. They showcase sports that people are watching. They showcase the sports that are in demand. The majority of these sports are male dominated. The demand for male sports more than female sports means more money is made in most male sports. More people attend male sporting events,there are more male athletes with major endorsements. Lastly, I just think most people enjoy watching male sports more.
Males are more physical and males have less physical limitations than their female counterparts.
I tweeted the young lady last Sunday that men are still waiting to see the first female alley-oop. I said that to make the point that everyone wants to see more from female sports. We may not ever be able to. For instance, as a basketball fan I love the guard play in the NBA. I think women are better shooters than men possibly. But basketball has so many nuances; a lot of what draws fans in is the aggression. It’s hard for the WNBA to compete with men who have forty inch vertical leaps to then dunk a lob pass.
The women I have pictured for this post have brands that branch beyond their respective sports.
Skylar Diggins and Serena Williams are great athletes. They also represent what you have to do in order to thrive in this male dominated area. Serena and Skylar have numerous off the court endorsements. It also helps that both women are supremely attractive. Is this right? Maybe it isn’t, but these women are also great at what they do.
To me, in order for America to fully embrace female sports as much as males, there’s got to be a demand. The demand for more coverage for female sports still isn’t there. Games are still widely unattended and it gives off the feeling that it just isn’t important. No one is going to want to invest in some thing that doesn’t seem important.
As a female professional athlete you’ve sort of got to think of yourself as a recording artist.
In the music business, artists used to make way more off of record sales. With the new report that no albums will go platinum is 2014 it’s a clear sign of the times. Our biggest recording artists make the bulk of their money through endorsements. They become marketable. The best way to bring more notoriety to female sports is to be more marketable. These ladies may have to show more personality, get involved in fashion, etc. But a shake up is definitely needed. Until that happens, America will never fully embrace female sports. What are your thoughts on female sports? Should women be paid the same as men across the board in sports? Talk to me sports fans.
These are my words and I make no apologies.
DamnPops is a writer on the staff at SBM: “I’m not a biter, I’m a writer for myself and others. ” Brooklyn born dude trying to figure out this life just like you. Come on this journey with me. Follow me on Twitter @DamnPOPS
![Don’t Sweat Her Over Dessert: Why Women Think Men are Cheap- [Revisited]](https://singleblackmale.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/black-couple-over.jpg)
I’m all for equality, but it really depends on the sport. NBA ratings and viewership far exceed the WNBA. I love the WNBA too, and would have to support your argument in them being better shooters. Tennis, for example, the women and men play side-by-side, but it’s more in skill and form where opponents never touch. Basketball is more physical. A 300-lb man colliding with a 130-lb woman will result in a serious injury.
I think it speaks to larger gender issues which I will not delve into for obvious reasons. I think you hit it when you point out that sports are a ‘business” now and that’s a big part of the problem in my opinion. Also the demand has to come from across the aisle so to speak. Just like the demand for any equality has to come from the side that is ironically perpetuating the inequality. Men have to want to see more women playing sports and as a result getting compensated accordingly. Case in point, the Legends Football League (formerly Lingere Football League) has some tough, physical athletes and has changed my whole perspective of women playing American football. We may be far off from women playing with men, but those ladies aren’t out there playing two-hand touch and they play with a relevant physicality that I appreciate. That’s just one example.
More people watch men rather than the women when it comes to sports. The money comes from the fans buying tickets to the games, team merchandise and etc. Once investors see popularity of such events, that is when more investments/endorsements start to pour in making th sport an even bigger attraction which will have a positive effect on the salaries in most sports.
I’ll say this- With Women’s ports, there are SOME Stars, with Men’s Sports, not only are there a Diversity of Stars but Teams that are Good. Action and Agression is boundless in the NBA, NFL and in College Basketball/Football. For the Ladies it is UConn, Tenneesee, Stanford, Maryland and then Nobody Else.
Now, in/on the Playground you can find some Girls that can Ball, Hit, do all the things the Guys do and in The Circles of Folks around those Ladies it’s All Good and Entertaining, but more often than not Those Ladies aren’t AT UConn, Tenneesee, etc OR the WNBA. Serena is a Beast, Sloane Stephans is Good but you don’t see other Serenas, Venuses or Sloanes….