Will the gender pay gap in sports ever be fixed?

Question

Will the gender pay gap in professional sports players ever be fixed?

meowcow · Accepted Answer

The salary of sport professionals is linked to the popularity of the sport and the revenue it brings in.

If you have the same number of eyeballs watching the NFL as you do womens football, then the league can generate revenue from that.

You cannot pay women players more if their sport generates less revenue. Where exactly do you think the money is going to come from?

For example, each NFL game has 17 million viewers per game (people only watch their team). But there are about 264 million NFL viewers when considering the entire league. The US population is 325 million, so almost 80% of Americans watch football.

Can't make the same claim for women's football/basketball/soccer/golf/tennis... etc.

madhatters4 · Accepted Answer

not unless people start watching female sports, buying merchandise and otherwise following those sports as closely as they do the male sports

then it will change as evidenced in professional tennis.

the simple fact is only a tiny fraction of people watch the wnba, women's soccer and lpga golf so the overall revenue of those leagues is far lower than the male sports

The_FallenOne · Accepted Answer

I'm gonna be completely honest with you, people don't like watching girls sports. Hell, I don't like watching girls sports. Men are better athletes than women therefore not as many people watch female sports. Biology is the name of the game. It's just how it is and if you're going into a sports profession as a woman you should know this before you even go into it.

CurvyPryde · Accepted Answer

Depends on the viewership. Sports is nothing more than entertainment. If women teams draw the same crowds as men, then they will make the same.

Anonymous · Answer

In most cases the women are arguably overpaid. But really the only basis for it is viewership. If people want to watch the women more, the women will earn more. If not, they won't.

On a pure ability/skill level, its' not close.

You asked in comments about 'women being allowed to play in men's leagues'.

For the most part, they are allowed. They simply aren't remotely good enough. The U. S. women's soccer team gets crushed by mens under 17 sides. WNBA teams scrimmage against groups of men with some college ball experience who are below men's G-league or men's European league level.

Tennis? The most recent quasi serious man vs. woman was in 1998 when the Williams sisters said they could beat any man outside the top 200. So the 203rd ranked man challenged them. He played a round of golf then had a few alcoholic drinks first, crushed serena 6-1 and then venus 6-2. He did not appear to be trying very hard.

alice55 · Answer

You can't compare it honestly, guys are paid that much because most people watch male sports but not women sport.
It's like in some not really popular sport they're paid a lot less and can't even live of it.

It all depend on the view they're getting.

Angelina25 · Answer

The real question is not why female athletes are paid less. People should be asking why fans and sponsors are less interested in supporting women's sports - and this is what they should be outraged about.
The lack of attendance and sponsorships contribute to a chicken-or-the-egg problem when it comes to getting women's sports up off the ground.
And now coming to your question, I don't think so. Not until the abovementioned problems are solved.

TadCurious · Answer

It's simply a reflection of the market. Male professional athletes earn more money because more people want to watch male sports on television and attend their games in person. The demand is higher. Male professional sports leagues generate more revenue than women's professional sports leagues. So to eliminate the "gender pay gap in sports" you would have to intervene in the free market and subsidize women's professional sports. And who would be the one's paying to subsidize that?

Mr___A · Answer

I wish they were all paid less ! It is too much !
But women won't be pay as much as men while they won't be as popular as they are.
The wage is a matter of advertising, and contracts based on how they are famous. Women are not wide spread in sport, then not famous as well. It's a pity, but it's a reason why they are less paid.
But men should lower their wage to the women level, i think it's enough. XD

mrs-turner97 · Answer

They all getting payed to much us soldiers and stuff should get payed good not a guy throwing or bouncing a ball getting drunk and partying I like football ROLLLLL TIDE... but still think they are way over paid and the men and woman who bust there ass don’t get paid near bout enough I could live off what they make in one game for a long time or 1million I could live the rest of my life almost with or least many years

ManaX · Answer

It's not a gap that needs to be 'fixed'. Players are paid due to the popularity of their sport. People aren't as interested in womens' sport compared to mens so they pull in less crowds, which equal less money and thus less pay.

Anonymous · Answer

It's so spread out because generally mens sports has more views and then that pays more. It just needs more media coverage and sponsors. Like our Norwegian female handball team is a lot more popular than the male one because they are just really good. So i think it just all boils down to what the public wants to see

ReasonCalm · Answer

Men's sports is watched more. When women get an attendance for a Premier league game of 60k then you'll be able to earn more. Remember the sponsors as well... I couldn't tell you who is the christaiano renaldo of women football. I couldn't even tell you a single time I've seen women's football on TV.

Pauls_say · Answer

Unfortunately its not as simple as with employment where government agencies are forced to employ females regardless of whether or not they are right for the job. With sport income you can't make people watch womens sport but will happen over time as is slowly happening with AFL football and cricket in Australia.

CT_CD · Answer

Nothing to fix. More people watch mens sports. Male athletes make more money because they are better and more exciting to watch and usually bring in more money. Just like how female porn stars typically make more than the men. Watch a WNBA game then a NBA game. The difference in skill level and athleticism is obvious.

smithc8195 · Answer

supply=demand as long as male sports are more popular they will be paid more

Anonymous · Answer

Seems that people just love bitching about women to men in shit like this. Go see how many women dominate the modeling industry and how the highest paid male model makes 1million compared to the highest female model 24 million.

Wheres the equalty and bitching there? Oh wait A women's being better than a man. No one gives A shit

NatureBeauty · Answer

It should, people think women are just submissive and afraid to get dirty. Well, we are not

Women sports should be as popular and get pay the same amount nothing more or less that their male counterparts are currently get paid

SirRexington · Answer

Men are payed more because all the professional sports team on TV are male. NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB... All male.

Should women's professional sports be aired more? Sure. Volleyball, Tennis has primarily female air time so they get paid more.

BornFree · Answer

Yes someday it will I played on all women football for six years. We were tougher than the sissy NFL players

eMaNnUeL · Answer

There's no reason to fix it. For example, the NBA brings in way more revenue than the WNBA, the only way to fix that would be to cap how much a male basketball player can make which is really wrong

BlueWiZ · Answer

If people will view the ladies just as much as we do the men, then it might dissapear/decrease over time.

devilman666 · Answer

When female sports players draw crowds the size of the super bowl, I guarantee they will get paid the same as the male players.

Dxk007 · Answer

Well, the harsh truth is men draw more crowds so, they get more. Excluding tennis and badminton, NFL (maybe a couple sports more), men draw bigger crowds so, they get more.
Women deserve more but, they need to make a statement everytime they play

rain_maker112 · Answer

Not until TV audience switch to watching girl basketball. My school has the best teams, but no one cares, so their paycheck is worth of nothing

SarahsSummer · Answer

Not until the fan base (ie media exposure) expands to meet that of men’s sports.

RobertG · Answer

They all get paid way more than they should, hell all they are doing is moving a ball in different ways.

OpenWine · Answer

if womans football was more interesting yea. or volleyball shouldn't volleyball be the kind of sport where women earn more than men. check this one out for me

BigSkyCowgirl · Answer

Yes, there are so many great female athletes out there such as Hope Solo, The Williams Sisters, Lindsay Vonn, Brittany Griner, and Ronda Rousey

Aroso · Answer

No because female matches doesn't produce that much revenue. And it is impossible to give high salaries for clubs to female athletes.

My-Shangri-La · Answer

It shouldn’t. Better players should be rewarded with more money. We can’t pay athletes equally just because she’s a woman

psychosam · Answer

No, their salaries are based off how much tv coverage and stuff they get, so many people don't seem to understand that

GoodGuyGregGGG · Answer

No cuz people dont watch female sports as much as malw sports right. It's kinda like a spupply and demand thing. Bring more viwers then that brings more money

chatwanderer · Answer

Well you bitches get paid more in tennis that's a win. Wnba players deserve less because they are so plain I assume golf n soccer should be equal either way if none of you play the sport professionally I say quit whining

WhoDatGuy · Answer

Supply and demand. Nobody wants to pay top money to see an inferior level of competition

Nachowedgie · Answer

It's very obvious why male sports people are paid more than their female counterparts. Because they bring in more money than the females. A child can figure that out.

BrianMerritt · Answer

Probably not, for the sane reason the modelling pay gap won't.

NaughtySarah · Answer

It needs to be fixed; we women are capable of doing anything that a man can do

baseballnerd24 · Answer

No because no one follows women's sports sorry not sorry

imwithstupid · Answer

when women's sports brings in the same revenue. That's when. Women in pron get paid 10x what men get paid... for good reason

Anonymous · Answer

I think it can be fixed if more people start watching

HeyThere94 · Answer

Someday, more people are watching women sports today than like 15 years ago

MeatPuppet · Answer

Not for as long as capitalism is the dominant economic system.

midwestman · Answer

This is so dumb... the reason they are paid different is because of the amount of money they bring in...

lsaiah · Answer

No cause it should never ever be fixed. it's perfect the way it is

ModernGuy · Answer

I think it needs to be fixed, and someday it will be fix

AlexDelux · Answer

Sure, if they are watched equally on viewers. I wouldn't count on it

trav132 · Answer

I think the ufc is a good example of equality between gender pay in sports.

Anonymous · Answer

Hey, women are the ones voting for the politicians against equality.

omgjassy · Answer

Probably not. It’s a shame

Youvella13 · Answer

More than likely not.

thottiana · Answer

Nobody watches females play sports

eatadic · Answer

Why would it need to be?

COCOCHANEL · Answer

i agree with manaX

MidnightCowboy · Answer

Yes someday it will be fixed

LuWe22 · Answer

No. Our male soccer team is way more popular

SpideryBook755 · Answer

No because most women don't play sports

Bourne96 · Answer

When they bring in the same amount of views

AquaBoo · Answer

Probably not

Nandor · Answer

My bois

Anonymous · Answer

There is NO pay gap

Will the gender pay gap in sports ever be fixed?

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