Sports market is growing globally, raising questions about gender.
The sports market is growing globally, raising numerous questions about gender inequality. The highest-paid sportsman in the world is still a man (Cristiano Ronaldo). Salaries are also higher for male athletes than for female ones. However, is this tendency available in all sports? Are there exceptions? I have decided to learn this topic closely and find out essential male vs. female sports statistics regarding gender inequality. So, continue reading my review to explore pay and revenue discrepancies in both men’s and women’s sports and find the reasons for gender inequality.
Undoubtedly, there are essential gender differences in sports between women and men, including due to hormones. Thus, most championships are solely based on sex. Male athletes are prohibited from competing with female athletes due to gender equality. Still, I would like to compare injury rates and athletic performance between both men and women.
Research shows that boys and girls have the same strength until age 14. In other words, physical differences between boys and girls begin to emerge during puberty due to differences in muscle mass development and hormonal changes.
Are males better than females at sports? The statistics show that, yes. On May 2, 2020, the Icelandic athlete Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson made the strongest deadlift ever. In contrast, Rhianon Lovelace has performed the strongest deadlift among women. Nonetheless, the difference between the two records is more than 500 pounds (0.23 t).
When it comes to the fastest 100m dash, Usain Bolt has done it at 9.58 seconds. Florence Griffith-Joyner had performed the same distance by 10.49 seconds.
Suppose I compare the success of males vs. females in sports, which are based only on brain ability. In this case, men are leaders as well. For example, the top 10 chess players in the world are males.
Do you know sports where women are better? I will tell you. Certain disciplines, like gymnastics, long-distance swimming, and figure skating, are the areas where women achieve the most success thanks to their physiological body construction.
Although male athletes might have better sports results in some disciplines due to stronger bones, more muscle mass, and the ability to endure harder and longer training, men perform worse in women’s sports.
Male athletes get more injuries than female ones. Commonly, it can include strains, concussions, fractures, dislocations, and ligament tears (such as ACL tears). When it comes to women, they are more prone to ankle sprains, ACL tears, concussions, and stress fractures. Still, 20% of males successfully return to their sport after undergoing surgeries.
When it comes to salaries, this topic becomes a subject of discussion. Female athletes complain about gender inequality in sports and less pay. Let’s uncover essential statistics related to this theme.
As male vs. female soccer statistics show, the US women’s football teams have fewer salaries than the men’s. Soccer players’ pay differs according to the team, sponsorship deals, league agreements, etc. However, while an average male athlete’s salary can reach $471,279, the average female is around $54,000.
Traditionally, money in men’s and women’s sports is earned with differences. In 2022, the NBA had around $10 billion, whereas the WNBA had between $60 million and $70 million. I have highlighted this tendency in countless sports disciplines.
Male and female athletes have different salaries, and the statistics prove this. In 2023, the highest-paid male sportsman was Cristiano Ronaldo, who earned $275 million per year. In contrast, the highest-paid female athlete was Iga Świątek in 2023. The tennis player earned $23.9 million in 2023.
As shown by research by Adelphi University, Human Kinetics, female athletes vs. male athletes in tennis have lower salaries by 36%. In 2023, Novak Djokovic had first place in the world’s highest-paid tennis player rating, with $38.4 million in capital. Iga Świątek had third place in this rating, earning $22.4 million.
When it comes to male vs. female professional sports salary comparison in the basketball area, women get more than men. The maximum salary for a sportsman in the NBA is $123,655,000 per season, and athletes in the WNBA may get up to $215,000. For instance, Stephen Curry is considered one of the most high-priced NBA players, averaging $52 million a year. In contrast, Erica Wheeler gets around $242.15 million a year.
Gender inequality in professional sports is demonstrated in golf as well. For example, in 2022, Phil Mickelson’s total earnings were around $138 million. He is considered the highest-paid golfer worldwide. In contrast, the highest-paid female golfer is Minjee Lee, who earned $7.3 million in 2022.
Although boxing is considered more of a male sport, 68.2% of men are engaged in it. Moreover, women in men’s sports also actively develop. However, the average salary in boxing is almost the same for both men and women. Male boxers earn an average of $29,483 per month, while female boxers can earn $28,537.
Of course, it is interesting to know male vs. female sports viewership statistics. Which competitions have more audience and fans? It depends on sport and countries. However, I have prepared the most shocking statistics in the review below.
When it comes to male vs. female football statistics, male competitions have more fans than female ones. For example, the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar had more than 1.5 billion viewers for the final live match. In contrast, the final game of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup had around 38.4 million viewers.
I also see gender inequality in sports statistics that is a result of less advertising of women’s tennis matches. For instance, just look at the Wimbledon finals statistics. In 2022, the male final had 2.24 million viewers, and only 1.24 million viewers watched the women’s final. Therefore, female tennis players often accuse the media of the fact that representatives of the press and television draw better and more attention to men’s tournaments.
Unfortunately, so far, men and women in sports have had unequal popularity in the audience. A Nielsen study showed that 38% of the general population in 8 countries had not seen a single match involving women but would be interested in watching.
However, 45% of the population considers watching women’s sports competitions live. This data is an indicator that brands and media organizations can increase their potential by attracting attention to women’s sporting events.
Since sports marketing focuses on the male audience, men’s sports competitions are the most popular. Thus, 66% of sports fans in the USA prefer following men’s sports, and only 3% like to follow women’s ones. Obviously, it is a demonstration that media coverage of male and female sports is not equivalent.
The sports area is growing on different fronts. Let’s talk about the ongoing tendencies in male and female sports disciplines.
There are generally around 3.09 billion active video game players worldwide. Despite the gender bias in sports, women gamers comprise 46% of the global esports community. Besides, in 2023, Faze Clan revealed its first all-female professional cyber sports team. I think that this tendency will grow in the future as well.
In 2024, the media will cover female sports competitions to decrease gender inequalities in sports and attract the attention of more fans. This trend will increase sponsors’ financial investments and may equalize the male and female sports pay.
Sponsors’ investments will influence the salaries in men’s and women’s sports. Just look: if in 2021, the global sports market was valued at $471 billion, in 2026, it would be $614 billion.
Commonly, inequality in sports is based on historical, social, cultural, and economic aspects. Of course, I understand that gender differences in sports performance depend on a physiological human nature as well. Still, when it comes to inequality, I’ve highlighted a few important reasons in the list below:
So, we can see a gender pay gap in sports statistics as a result of these reasons. I hope that female athletes will be paid on par with men and that interest in women’s sports competitions will begin to increase in the future.
Consequently, as statistics show, although females compete in male sports, gender inequality still exists. It is a systemic problem based on poor media coverage of women’s sports, less financial investment, and resulting lower pay for female athletes.What sport are women better than men? I can highlight such sports as gymnastics, long-distance swimming, and figure skating. In other sports, women are also actively developing and getting prize places. However, so far, male athletes are considered stronger and more successful in many areas, but this trend is getting weaker year after year.
