There is a pay disparity between men’s and women’s sports, but there are reasons for this.
Why don’t women make as much as men do in sports? There are a few reasons, but there’s one key reason that many people don’t want to think about. Men’s sports are a lot more interesting to watch. Women are fun to watch when the sport becomes dynamic and things start to happen. But quite honestly, men’s sports are often far more exciting.
There is a pay disparity. Few, if any people are willing to claim that there isn’t. The fact is that men are paid far more when just starting a popular sport than women are. Debates have raged on over the years concerning this matter. Many people have their own opinion on how much women should make as opposed to men. One point of agreement is that the disparity does exist.
Where people tend to disagree is that like it or not, the disparity is justified.
There is a pay disparity between men’s and women’s sports
So why don’t women make as much as men do in sports? A lot of people have chimed in on this thought. The problem is that some people don’t care enough, and some care too much. Let’s examine a few of the reasons why this is so:
- Men’s sports receive way more coverage:
Look at how exciting male sports are. Between the NBA and the WNBA, which is one of the most common examples, the action is usually miles apart. The ladies can do a lot of what the men can, but they still play at a different level than men do. The speed is greater, more intense, and tends to get people pumped when they’re watching. As a result, media coverage and social media coverage are far greater for men than for women. In other words, men make the headlines on page one, while women are found back in the sports section, hopefully as one of the more important articles.
2. People pay more to see men compete:
Because of the exciting nature, people are more willing to pay greater ticket prices. This is often due to the fact that, as mentioned, men’s games are far more exciting. They hit harder, they play harder, and they cater to the competitive nature that many people enjoy watching or sharing in their own way. It sounds a little corny, but at the risk of making things too simple, men’s sports are a lot more fun to watch since there’s usually something happening that gets people excited.
3. Men are given way more endorsement deals:
Each reason kind of leads into another really. One reason compliments or further explains another by going deeper into the issue and showing, or telling, people the statistical truth. Men do manage to secure more endorsement deals on average than women when it comes to sports. Obviously, the top performers are going to earn the most.
Men’s sports have more viewers than women’s sports
This statistic isn’t perfect across the board since there are countries in which men’s and women’s sports are viewed in equal measure. But in some countries, like the one we’re going to mention, the USA, men’s sports get a LOT more attention. Why is that?
Well, I’ve gone over one of the most important reasons, that men’s sports are far more dynamic in nature. But the fact that men’s sports are more exciting is that men are stronger, they’re faster, and a lot of times they put on a better show. In other words, men’s sports are a lot more entertaining.
Women are entertaining though, aren’t they? The easy and polite answer is yes, they are. But the reality is that this is a lot of people still watch men’s sports far more often. Showmanship goes a long way when it comes to impressing people. In return, impressing the fans tends to loosen their wallets a little more when it comes to paying for tickets, merchandise, and everything else.
When there’s more money, there’s more to spread around
It makes sense, right? When there’s more money being generated by a sport, there’s more to pass around to the athletes. Plenty of arguments have been made about the pay disparity in men’s and women’s sports. Unfortunately, not everyone wants to listen to the idea that more money paid out means more money needs to be made.
The popular argument that’s brought up at this time is the difference in pay between NBA players and WNBA players. Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces is one of those who’s been the most vocal. She does sound rational and even logical when she’s speaking, but unfortunately, she appears to miss the point.
A lot of people would love to see the WNBA players and other women athletes make the kind of money they want. After all, one works hard to reach their goals, and achieving them is a big deal. Unfortunately, as the WNBA is subsidized by the NBA, and has been losing money for years, it’s tough to give more money when the sport isn’t raking it in. The unfortunate fact is that compared to the NBA, not a lot of people are watching the WNBA. It sounds redundant, but the truth is that saying it over and over still hasn’t stuck.
How can women’s sports earn more money?
That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? Many people have ideas, but it would appear that said ideas aren’t being implemented. A lot of people still want to state that women aren’t being treated fairly and that their pay needs to increase. There are ways to make it work, but the unfortunate fact, for women’s sports, is that men’s sports are going to maintain their popularity and their rate of pay.
It sounds hopeless, doesn’t it? In a perfect world, women would be paid as men because they would be as popular. The current situation isn’t bound to be solved quickly. Women are skilled, they are entertaining, and they do deserve to get paid. But earning and deserving doesn’t mean much if people aren’t willing to pay. If there’s no money to spread around, then arguing for more becomes kind of difficult.
At the end of the day, women want more money for their effort. Superstars like Megan Rapinoe, Kelsey Plum, and several others want to have their say and make it clear that they don’t feel they’re getting what they deserve. The problem with this, sadly, is that they’re trying to shake more money out of an empty jar.
Men’s sports make more money than women’s sports because they’re more interesting to watch. It’s not fair, but from a statistical standpoint, it’s the truth.
WTR? (Why’s That Radass?)
The pay gap between men and women in the workplace was debunked. A disparity in pay between male and female athletes is even simpler. It’s going to continue until women can find a way to be more entertaining. The likes of Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, Amanda Nunes, and several others are outliers, exceptions to the rule. At the end of the day, men’s sports are more exciting to watch, and the open wallets of the fans are further proof.
