The sports industry is growing as we speak. Women’s sports are gaining a lot of attention, especially in women’s college basketball. Athletes such as Caitlin Clark, Juju Watkins, and Angel Reese are bringing attention to women’s sports. Due to these athletes bringing attention to sports, more media coverage will start coming. Even though women’s sports are becoming more nationally known because of female athletes like these, women in sports media are still in demand, as the industry is very male-dominated.
Female figures such as Malika Andrews and Katy Winge are bringing many firsts into the sports industry. Andrews is the host of NBA Today. She joined ESPN in October 2021. She was the youngest sideline reporter and the youngest to host the NBA draft in 2022. Andrews was able to reach as much success as a male colleague would have in a short amount of time.
Katy Winge is a reporter and analyst for the 2023 NBA Champion Denver Nuggets. She is the first female analyst in franchise history. Winge is very special for the sports media industry because she likes to use her past experience as a college basketball player to analyze the game. Her interviews with players have a personal touch, which gives her a different perspective than her male colleagues.
Both of these women are role models for women who want to enter the sports media field. The field can be scary for those who dream of being a sideline reporter for their favorite sports team. With how male-dominated the sports industry is, we need to encourage women to enter the field. Entering the field will take some sacrifices, but in order to have more women in the field, we have to show men who dominate the field that women will take over.
Winge and Andrews are both bringing many firsts in the industry, but what is important is what they do in their careers, which is going to change how the industry will look in 10 years. Men have overpowered the industry within the past several decades. Winge and Andrews both show that you don’t have to be a man just to have as much success and to give the same points as the male colleagues would. The media needs to understand that men aren’t the only ones who love sports. Women also love watching sports, so that means women can cover them too, not just men!