Today, TV channels provide men’s sport shows more than women’s sport shows. Why? Should TV channels give equal time for women’s sport and men’s sport?

These days, when it comes to sport, a higher number of games played by men are broadcast, compared to that of women. A growing number of people having more interest in men’s sporting events is the main reason for this and I believe that equal attention should be paid to women’s sport

The major factor leading television producers to prioritise men’s sport is the audience watching male athletes competing considerably outnumbers people watching shows of their female counterparts. More viewers mean more profits, advertising contracts and sponsorship investments for the TV channels broadcasting the shows. Take football in Vietnam as an example. Men’s football match at the 30th SEA games attracted millions of people both from different parts of Vietnam and other neighbouring countries, while the figure for women’s match was significantly lower. Giving men’s sport a higher priority is, therefore, a wise strategy to earn large profits and attract more investment.

However, I would argue that TV coverage should not be biased towards men’s sport and that female athletes should be given equal opportunities. If men’s sports programmes continue to receive significantly more coverage than the programmes of their opposite sex, it might increase gender inequality, which is one of the most serious issues in many parts of the world today. Another thing is that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people who have interest in women’s sport in recent years, and hence, television coverage should focus more on this area.

In conclusion, a wider audience watching men’s sports channels is the most important reason why TV producers provide more men’s shows than women’s shows, and I am of the opinion that there should be a greater equality in the coverage of men’s and women’s sport.