Social media a strong indicator and driver for women’s sport growth

As women’s sport strives for mainstream acceptance, social media is help drive it there and could give it a final push, writes FIONA BOLLEN.

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SOCIAL media is one of the strongest indicators of the growth in popularity of women’s sport and could be a conduit for moving it even further.

AFLW was the fourth most tweeted about sports league in 2018 and with four weeks left in the 2019 season, the use of the #AFLW hashtag has been used nearly as much as it was all last season.

It all feeds into the visibility of women’s sport, which is an important element for today’s International Women’s Day theme is #BalanceforBetter.

The WBBL final was played in front of a sellout crowd and had record viewership this year. Pic: Phil Hillyard

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The scales are slowly starting to tip back in the other direction.

Television coverage means more people can tune in now. The WBBL had around double the number of games on free to air this season compared to last, while streaming through apps has allowed people near full access to every game from nearly every sport on the women’s side of things.

That level of coverage has driven the conversation on social.

On a platform like Twitter, they are seeing female athletes with massive follower growth.

Australian cricket Megan Schutt, Australian basketballer Liz Cambage and AFLW player Courtney Gum have all had double digit growth in their followers throughout the past two years.

AFLW is one of the most tweeted about sports in Australia. Pic: Getty Images

The #WBBL hashtag has grown 50 per cent each year for two years, while #WNBL hashtag has been used twice as much this season to last.

Areas that were once male domains and gaining greater diversity too.

Channel 7’s AFL handle has had a 42 per cent increase in female followers after the AFLW season.

These positive trends feed into growth, greater visibility and more balance, which is what Twitter Australia managing director Suzy Nicoletti wants — the conversation extending beyond an allocated day and into the everyday.

"Honey, I can pay you to make my sandwiches." All the negative comments are tiring but remember whenever you see horrible comments "I can take that negative energy and turn it into my own power," says @ecambage #AskIWD @SamSquiers #IWD2019 #futurewomen @futurewomen

— Jenna Price (@JennaPrice) March 6, 2019

.@ecambage spends five months a year playing in the US as well as other commitments keeping her away from Australia to have a career. “I don’t want my daughters to have to go through being isolated on the other side of world missing out of Christmas” #iwd2019⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠ #AskIWD

— Laura Polson (@laura_polson) March 6, 2019

“The increase in followers, the increase in conversation on Twitter and I’m sure other platforms, my perception is it’s given a lot more confidence to female athletes, to brands like Cricket Australia, who now understand the value of the athletes of the sporting codes so now there are bigger ambitions,” Ms Nicoletti said.

“That’s an exciting place for us to play because for us as a platform we’re a support, we want people to come, share and discuss but ultimately we want to see that drive for people to be united and take action.

“For us in terms of gender equality, that means at the top, visibility.

“I love International Women’s Day, but what I really love is that this conversation just keeps growing.”

Social media may have a bad rap for being shouty or contrived, but what Ms Nicoletti has been seeing is ultimately positive.

Liz Cambage, Mel McLaughlin, Megan Schutt, Courtney Gum and Sam Squiers discuss the growth of women's sport at Twitter's International Women's Day breakfast. Pic: Supplied/Twitter

She marks 2018 as a breakthrough year for women’s sport on the platform — “the year it was discovered, almost” — and the general sentiment from followers is positive.

“People aren’t going to follow you for negativity, they are following our athletes to be inspired,” she said.

“We saw a big increase in conversation with a very high positive sentiment. We saw a big increase in followers for people wanting to get closer to and connect to these athletes.

“What makes the conversation powerful to me, honestly, is the athletes themselves are so good at connecting with the fans and so good at connecting with each other.”

That will be more important than ever this year. A number of our female national teams head overseas for big tournaments.

The WNBL had more social conversation but wants greater public awareness. Pic: AAP

The Australian netball team have a World Cup in England, our cricketers head there too for the Ashes, while across the Channel the Matildas chase their World Cup dream.

Time zones mean fans will look to social media more than ever to connect.

It may be another big step to what many view as the ultimate goal — it all just being mainstream sport.

Cricket have set a massive target of hosting the biggest crowd ever at the women’s World T20 final at the MCG next International Women’s Day.

Social media will play a big part in achieving it and if they do, it may well be the time where “women’s” sport arrives.

Originally published as Social media a strong indicator and driver for women’s sport growth