“Believing in your dreams, never giving up” is probably the common point of all champions. This is also the slogan of the former sponsor of Clarisse Cramer, who says he is committed alongside all sailing enthusiasts, to support them in achieving their challenges. If he is ready to assume the inherent risks in this sport, it would seem that maternity for this sailor is not part of it since it was the cause of the rupture of their partnership relationship last February. Fortunately, L’Occitane en Provence took the opportunity to give the young mother the means to meet a first challenge: Clarisse now has 20 months to respond positively to the specifications of the Vendée Globe.
The media coverage of this affair will therefore have allowed a “happy ending” but must lead each player in the sports ecosystem to change their view of an event that has too often been synonymous with the end of a career for sportswomen. Supporting them better cannot be limited to paying them better. It also means allowing them to return to their best level after what should only be a break of a few months comparable to convalescence or return from injury.
To pay them better, we must above all see them more in the media. The field of sports has recently seen a significant increase in the recognition of women’s sports, with India’s Women’s Premier League (cricket league) securing media rights worth $700 million, ranking it second after the WNBA ( U.S. Women’s Basketball Championship) in terms of broadcast value. In early 2022, the Women’s Sports Network was launched, aiming to promote and support women’s (au)sport through an ad-supported streaming service. Despite these promising developments, an international survey (18 countries studied) by YouGov shows that there is still a significant disparity between women and men in terms of audiences for “sports” content. That men are more likely than women to watch men’s professional competitions (58% men versus 33% women) was predictable. More surprisingly, they are also more numerous than women to watch broadcasts of women’s competitions (31% of men against 22% of women).
In France, two-thirds of men watch professional men’s sports (64%), but only 36% watch women’s sports. The same trend is observed among women, where just over a quarter of French women watch women’s sports (28%), while 41% watch professional men’s sports. The situation on the markets is broadly similar but even sharper. Only India shows results comparable to France: 64% of men and almost half of women (45%) watch professional men’s sports. Notably, Indian women were just as likely as men to watch professional women’s sports (37% vs. 35%).
Despite recent progress in media coverage of women’s sport around the world, there is still significant room for growth. And since women everywhere watch women’s (au)sports broadcasts in a minority, a fundamental question must be addressed: how to develop the female audience in sports? At 56%, French women think that the solution lies in more competitions on television. Documentaries on sportswomen (37%) appear to be a path to favor before the feminization of journalists (27%) or expert consultants (24%). So many elements to be taken into consideration by the media but which in no way exclude the need for sports bodies to “think” about their high female level. Scheduling the Les Bleues match against Canada at the same time as the quarter-final of the Champions League City vs Bayern is an illustration of this.
A positive sign, Jean-Michel Aulas and Philippe Diallo presented a development plan for women’s football in mid-April, suggesting a real desire to make things happen. For its part, FIFA has decided to increase the bonus envelope for the next Women’s World Cup to 100 million dollars (vs. 440 million dollars for Qatar 2022). But let’s not forget that if parity now exists at Roland Garros, it is largely because the audiences and attendances of women’s tennis have increased significantly under the reign of Serena Williams. Her track record and the size of her community of fans on social networks make the American a reference in sports marketing: 41.3 million dollars in contracts in 2022, double the sponsorship income of Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal.
If the development of audiences on TV and activity on the networks seem to be the decisive indicators for the economy of (au)feminine sport, then let us all realize that the solution lies with the general public in general, the female public in particular. Let’s inform, explain, encourage young girls to like, share and follow our athletes, our champions and their clubs. To be a mother, champion and millionaire, this is a great challenge that Serena Williams has been able to achieve. Wish Clarisse Cramer and many others all the ill!
