Ava Collins – Mustangs Ahead
(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) - A great change in female sports visibility has given several athletes and organizations incredible opportunities.
According to the Wasserman Collective, in 2018 the women's average share of sports coverage was around 10%. As of 2022, it has grown to 15% and if growth remains consistent, coverage is predicted to reach upwards of 20% by the end of 2025.
It is no surprise that female collegiate athletes like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers have boosted viewership of women's sports tremendously. In fact, according to the McKinsey & Company, “the 2024 NCAA championship game averaged 18.9 million viewers, marking the first time that the women’s title game was watched more than the men’s version, which averaged 14.8 million viewers.”
These patterns also hold truth in other sports like gymnastics featuring athletes like Livvy Dunne and Simone Biles. Climbing from viewership numbers of 800,000 in the year 2021 to 1.5 million in 2025.
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Numbers like these have even exceeded record highs in Male dominant leagues. An example of this case is, “the 2024 Paris Olympics saw massive viewership, with the women's gymnastics team finals drawing 12.7 million viewers, exceeding NFL draft and NBA Finals numbers” (Global Impact Gymnastics Alliance).
This has not only caught the attention of viewers but also broadcasters themselves. Newscasters have taken note of these record high numbers and are actively committing more “prime-time” windows to women's games.
Overall, women's sports, both collegiate and pro levels, have seen a drastic increase in recognition which has given young athletes inspiration and amplified the overall investment in women's sports.