Claire Thomson
Up until now, women’s sport has suffered in terms of sponsorship, media and marketing, with male athletes and men’s sport dominating the industry, leaving female teams and athletes as an afterthought.
According to Women in Sport, a charity determined to break down stubborn gender inequalities within the sports sector and empower more women and girls to be active, between 2011 and 2013, women’s sport sponsorship accounted for just 0.4% of all sports sponsorships, with media coverage showing a similar level of disparity – in 2017, women’s sports coverage only made up approximately 4-10% of all sports media coverage during the study’s monitoring period. However, despite a severe lack of funding among many women’s teams, there has been a major shift in the public perception of women’s sport in recent years and sponsorships are now on the rise.
Gatorade’s vision of sports’ future
The most recent development in women’s sport sponsorship, which probably came as a shock to many, was the announcement that sports beverage giant, Gatorade, is swapping men’s sports for women’s. In a refresh of its sports marketing strategy earlier this month, the brand decided to shift its focus to specifically target women’s sports and college athletes rather than well-established men’s sports entities, in the process dropping one of the biggest sports leagues in the US.
Consequently, despite having been partnered since 2006, when it expires in 2023, Gatorade will not be renewing its five-year deal with the National Hockey League (NHL).
“Gatorade is clearly committed to changing the sporting landscape and improving diversity within the industry.”
Jeff Kearney, Gatorade’s global head of sports marketing, emphasised in a LinkedIn post that the new focus reflects the company’s vision of sports’ future – “young and diverse athlete communities, cutting edge leagues, and embracing all athletic journeys.”
Having already launched an initiative in February to address barriers to sports participation affecting underrepresented athletes and tapping strong, upcoming college and high school female athletes, such as gymnast Suni Lee, to promote their latest campaign, Gatorade is clearly committed to changing the sporting landscape and improving diversity within the industry. Although the brand is not the first to argue that women’s sports are the future, considering the company’s global influence and visibility, it’ll be interesting to see whether other big brands follow in their footsteps of supporting female and college athletes.
The future is female
Women’s sport is thriving. From Barcelona smashing the record attendance for a women’s match to almost 32.9 million people in the UK watching domestic women’s sports on TV in 2021 and with Gatorade on board in the US, it’s clear that the rise of women’s sport is becoming unstoppable and the sky, the limit.
Feature image courtesy of Jacob Rice via Unsplash. No changes or alterations have been made to this image. Image license can be found here.
Claire Thomson
Aspiring Sports Journalist and Modern Languages Student (French/German) at University of Glasgow