Media Corner: Gender Equality in Sports Media
As an ex-BBC female broadcaster, I'm all too aware of the gender gap and inequality in sports media. That's one of the reasons I took longer than ever to pour over The Sunday Times this week as I was captivated by an article about a BBC Presenter I have the utmost admiration for, a fellow Welshman, Gabby Logan. Gabby disclosed in the article that when she started broadcasting she was told that she was' too competitive' for a woman and that her TV career would be over by the age of 28. Fast forward to Summer 2025 and Yorath will be one of the three presenters for Match of the Day alongside Mark Chapman and Kelly Cates. Logan has covered the Olympics, has been the host of multiple Rugby World Cups as well the host of the Commonwealth Games and many European Athletics Championships.
It's a known fact that women working in sports media battle constant micro- aggressions. Based on recent statistics, 20% of sport reporters are women and 80% are men. Whilst it was great to see the BBC's Olympics team being led by women last Summer and there were more female faces pitch side at the men's Euros, there still seems a long way to go. I was delighted to see Logan speak up in this weekend's Sunday Times; being totally explicit about how she's been treated over the years. She eluded to the fact that some of her peers suspected her of having the prime jobs because she was 'glamorous.' This is the woman who is now anchoring Match of The day and who' knows her onions' with sports across all disciplines.
Why should women sport broadcasters feel like they are taking a man's job? There is the constant assumption (even if they're subconscious) that this is in fact the case. Women are not chosen to anchor historic, iconic shows such as Match of the Day because they 'look glamorous.' They are there because they are capable of writing bullet proof briefs, their research is thorough, they have exemplary knowledge of their sport, will ask appropriate questions and commentate with full authority and knowledge.
Whilst Gabby acknowledges that sports broadcasting has become more accessible to women, numbers show that there is still a noticeable gap. The number of women who enter into sports journalism is still relatively low, and this particular area of reporting remains a predominantly male-dominated area in countries all over the world.
Feeling inspired and enthused by Gabby's article I'm hoping that gender equality in sports media will skyrocket during the remainder of Gabby's career. I shall look forward to reading another interview with her in around 20 years and wish her the best of luck with anchoring one of the most historic BBC shows this Summer.
