Sports continue to play a hugely important role in society and stretches across the whole planet. While it has great value as a means of entertainment and keeping fit, it is also a sector which brings people together. Sports can also be a real force for change and a barometer of the attitudes we have toward certain subjects.
Gender equality is one example of this, and great strides have been made recently to promote women’s sports. Despite this, it is true that women’s sports in general are still not quite as popular as men’s in areas like soccer, basketball, and cricket.
But will some female sports like this become more popular than the men’s game in time?
Table of Contents
Live streaming suggests it could happen
Women’s sport could undoubtedly take heart from changes to gender equality which live streaming technology has delivered. It is fair to say that women in the live-streaming industry are making real waves and have become more popular than their male counterparts in many cases.
For example, top female streamers like Pokimane show that women can eclipse men in the same sector when given a fair chance. If women’s sport can follow the example live streaming has set and continues to develop further, then there is every chance it could one day surpass men’s sport in some cases.
But will this ever really happen and what could drive this?
Will some women’s sports ever be bigger than men’s?
The simple answer is that the surging popularity of women’s sports suggests some of them could become more popular than men’s over time. In some ways, we are already enjoying this in tennis and this sees many people preferring to tune into matches between female players now. But what could be the main driving forces to help women’s tennis and other top female sports rise further?
One of the biggest things which could help is more media coverage. In simple terms, more coverage is needed of the games, results and competitions in top female sports. It would also be beneficial to see greater coverage in general female sporting stories, gossip and team news.
If the amount of coverage female sports gets was equal to that which men’s sports receive, you have to feel it could see more people start to follow the women’s game.
More professional players and facilities helpful
While the men’s FIFA World Cup 2022 might be hard to match for women’s soccer yet, do not be surprised to see this change in the future. To bring some of the top women’s sports up to a level where this is possible, you need more professional teams and players would help. This not only brings an extra sheen of professionalism to women’s sports but also sees them competing on a level playing field with men.
The flip side to this is that higher-level facilities for women’s sports would be a great help in eclipsing the men’s game. If you take one of the world’s top leagues in women’s soccer, such as the English WSL, teams there play most games at lower league stadiums. This does not give the same match-day experience to fans as going to the best stadiums men’s soccer in the UK uses. If women’s sports can begin to access better facilities, they can pick up more support and one day be on top.
Why could some women’s sports become more popular than men’s?
Although we have looked at whether some women’s sports could become more popular than men’s and how this could occur, you might wonder why it could happen too. For many people, following the top female sports is just a much more pleasant, inclusive and enjoyable affair.
There is, for example, a greater level of fan-player interaction in the women’s game and less trouble on matchdays than you see at some male sports. Many people also like to get involved with women’s sports over men’s because they think it is more exciting to watch. When you also factor in that people who care about equality like to offer their support to female sports, you can see why they are attracting more fans in modern times.
Women’s sports could grow to dwarf some male sports
When you look at global events like the Women’s Six Nations in rugby or domestic tournaments like the National Women’s Soccer League, it is clear how much female sports has grown. It is also easy to see how some women’s sports like soccer, rugby, cricket, and tennis could one day grow to eclipse men’s.
