Beyond the Sidelines: Fearless Women in Sports Media Breaking Barriers

For decades, the sports media and marketing industry has been viewed as a man's world.

Today, however, women have been changing the game in these careers. There has been a major increase in the number of women in sports media and marketing in more recent years.

Women in sports media and marketing have been bringing new and fresh perspectives, bringing new voices to stories, and bringing innovative ideas to the table.

Sports media and marketing extend far beyond what fans see on the field. The industry includes a whole range of careers from sports journalism and sports broadcasting to public relations and digital content creation.

While the athletes are often the focal point, these roles work together behind the scenes to shape how fans understand, experience, and connect with sports. Woman working in these roles are challenging long-standing expectations and making their voices heard through the industry.

Women Who Are Changing the Game in Sports Media

More women are joining this field. They push the limits and break the stereotype that only men can work in sports media. Sports media and marketing have always been a male-dominated field. This stereotype dates back to the early 1900s, when the industry consisted mainly of male sports reporters and editors.

Since then, this dynamic has changed, but not as drastically as you may believe. Even with the significant growth of women in sports media in recent years, women only make up about 15% to 20% of the business on average. This low percentage reinforces the male-dominated stereotype.

There have been many women in the history of the sports media space who have pushed the boundaries of this male-dominated field. While the name Jayne Kennedy may not ring any bells, she made history as the first Black woman to co-host a major national sports program. She interviewed with the world-renowned boxer Muhammad Ali just two weeks into her broadcasting career.

But Kennedy is not the only woman known as a trailblazer. Take Lisa Byington, for example. In 2021, she was named the first-ever female full-time television play-by-play announcer for a major men's NBA team, the Milwaukee Bucks. This was a huge deal considering the lack of women reporters for men's sports.

Even though she has been in the sports media industry since the early 2000s, it took about 20 years to make it in the major leagues. Sadly, Byington's career journey is just like that of other very well-known women in the sports media industry, like Erin Andrews. She joined ESPN in May 2004 as a reporter for the network's National Hockey League coverage and quickly became a fan favorite. Today, she is one of the most well-known women sportscasters in the industry.

Many say Andrews has paved the way for women in sports media and made sports media coverage more enjoyable to watch. These influential women in the industry show how they’ve paved the way for many others. They empower women to believe they can do anything a man can do in sports media.

Sports Marketing is a Game-Changer

Marketing has always been a huge part of the sports industry. Especially in recent years, marketing has become a huge part of the reason why fans stay engaged and up to date with their teams. It has even gone as far as creating more opportunities for brands to market to a whole different type of audience, sports fans.

As most of the nation knows, one of the most anticipated aspects of the Super Bowl game every year is the commercials. Each year, big brands create amazing commercials. They aim to engage the audience and promote their products.

For example, Pepsi is known for its Super Bowl ads with a "wow factor" that draws people in, and they do this by using celebrity endorsements. One of their most iconic commercials aired during the 1992 Super Bowl and starred model and actress Cindy Crawford.

Their 2026 Super Bowl commercial grabbed attention. It features the iconic Coca-Cola polar bear trying Pepsi and claiming it tastes better than Coke. They even included the song "I Want to Break Free" by Queen. They also poked fun at the viral video of the Astronomer CEO caught in an affair at a Coldplay concert in 2025.

The Effects of Sports Marketing on Women's Sports

Sports marketing matters for all types of professional sports, but it's especially crucial for women's sports. They play the same games, yet the impact is much greater for women. If it weren't for sports marketing, women's sports such as basketball and rugby would not be nearly as popular as they are now.

So let's shine a light on just women's sports for a minute. Many brands aimed at women have featured female athletes in their promotions. Angel Reese and Ilona Maher represent big names like Reebok and Adidas, along with Mielle Organics and L'Oréal. But women's sports still only receive between 5% and 10% of media coverage compared to men's sports.

In 2022, the NCAA women's basketball Championship game had close to 5 million viewers. The 2023 WNBA Championship game saw a huge boost in viewership. After all the sports marketing, like sponsorships and commercials, it attracted tens of millions of viewers; this was a 103% increase from last year. This success proves that all that marketing was a great investment for the sports industry.

How Women Athletes are Transforming Sports Marketing

Marketing professionals choose influential women athletes to represent their brands, but these women also market themselves on their own social platforms. They do a fantastic job at it. When you take a look at Ilona Maher's social media, you get a small glimpse into the demanding lifestyle she lives, but only because she chooses to share it.

This approach gives fans more visibility of their practices, routines, and days off. As a result, fans become more interested in the athletes and their talents on and off the field or court. These powerful, strong women are the perfect people to represent the sport, complemented by the women covering and reporting their hard work from the sidelines.

Why This Representation Matters

Now you may be asking yourself, why does it matter that there is a rise of women in sports media and marketing? And that is because of what the women in this industry have done to make it better for consumers.

Specifically with sports journalism, it is important to have many different narratives when it comes to stories about sports. If there are only men sports journalists, it may lead to a more one-sided narrative.

Female journalists tend to focus on strategic and athletic narratives. Because of this, it's important to have women sports journalists to get that different narrative consumer's may be looking for. For instance, women who enjoy watching sports and reading stories about them may appreciate hearing from female voices rather than male voices.

This is not because men are less knowledgeable, but because women may bring perspectives and ways of explaining sports that resonate more strongly with some female fans. Whether it is on the news, radio, or social media, it is so important to see women in this field as much as men.

"We need more women in this industry. We need those voices. We need that perspective. We need them making coverage and hiring decisions." - Lisa Wilson.

The Sports Media and Marketing Industry Needs More Women

In the future, we can only hope that there will be more women joining the field of sports media or sports marketing. Even though women in sports media and marketing still face the sexist stereotype of the industry, the hope is that more networks will encourage more women to be in the industry.

The percentage of women in this industry should only continue to grow and flourish, not be silenced and unrecognized.

So if you are interested in pursuing a career in sports media or marketing and don't know if it is possible, it's an easy answer: it is possible as long as you set your mind to it.

🪽 Written by Angelia Guglielmo