GM - Where are the ladies

[Foxholer]

Have to say it’s very hard to watch the current Woman’s US Open - there seems to be zero excitement, feels really slow and laboured and the course just seem to grab the attention as well . Maybe it’s the commentary but it’s enough to make you want to turn off . If golfers turn off then can anyone see non golfers watching it.

I know some mens comps aren’t great to watch as well but this seems like what a lot of the Ladies comps are like beyond the Solhiem Cup.

A lot of people watch sport for excitement etc and currently there is none in this comp

While I agree with much/all of this, it doesn't 'justify' the complete absence (if that's the case) of female/Ladies section in Golf mag.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've never seen a magazine dedicated to golf on any newstand. Can youy post their names?

Main two are Women & Golf and Lady Golfer. Same they don't have a stronger online presence especially if people like Chellie have already enquired

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Basically women’s sport tends not to be as good as men’s, it’s slower, les skilled and doesn’t attract mass media.
The only women’s sports I really enjoy are athletics, as it’s just as exciting to see the races, and rugby, mainly as the ball is in play more than in the men’s game.

 

[Sports_Fanatic]

Is there any data on this?

As far as I am aware in recent times, for the slams the Women's and men's finals have had similar amounts of viewership, with the women's even having higher viewing figures at some points. I agree outside the slams the men's game gets more attention. This may provide some insight, if it's the same players competing, why do women get more viewership in big events?

This isn’t putting the women’s game down but here’s an article

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...uring-serena-williams-than-the-mens-3jcsdn98p

It shows 2018 was the first time in 13 yrs Wimbledon ladies final had more viewers than the men’s, but with the big caveat men’s final was at the same time as football World Cup final. I believe data is similar for ESPN.

The men’s 2019 Wimbledon final peaked at 9.6m viewers, and whilst I can’t find women’s final figures for the same year it’s double their 2018 figure. Data isn’t great but I believe it’s similar for Aus, French and US, although Serena does “move the needle” significantly for the later when competing.

https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/amazon-french-open-tv-rights-night-sessions-2020-ratings - suggest Roland Garros has been close to double the figures for the men’s final in recent years.

I expect the figures are skewed though by having Rafa, Federer and Djokovic in them

Not to say the women’s tennis game isn’t great as I’ve always enjoyed watching it. I like it and actually fits as easier to watch than some of the epic men’s matches taking 5 hours.

Edited to add this
https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2016/09/us-open-ratings-record-low-espn-tennis/
Slightly dated but shows much closer on us open figures and the impacted of Serena. Yearly figures seem more representative of the draw of top “names” making the final.

 

[chellie]

Main two are Women & Golf and Lady Golfer. Same they don't have a stronger online presence especially if people like Chellie have already enquired

Sorry, it was GM doing more content for women online.

 

[Swinglowandslow]

Dibby's hit the nail on the head.
And references to tennis , women's tennis , being successful highlights it.
Women watch women's tennis, because,from what I've seen over the years, women watch tennis . Why ( it seems to me ) women watch tennis more than any other sports , I don't know, but I think it's a true statement.
Generally though, women don't watch sports in numbers anything like men do, and it's natural for men to watch more men's sport than women's.
It is what it is.
As for magazines. The internet and YouTube are much more informative than anything any magazine can manage. Not the magazines fault. Just the nature of supplying information.
The internet has not been described as "the information highway " for no reason.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

The majority of the main stream sports are dominated both in terms of playing and spectating by men , when ladies play sport whilst they are very skillful at their relative level it rarely reaches the same level of excitement hence the viewing figures will imo always be low of Womens sport.

Only have to watch the current Woman’s Major happening and it’s horrifically dull and painful to watch

And yes people of both sexes will watch sports to have a look at attractive people - whether that Women watching men’s rugby or men watching Ladies Tennis - it happens , it’s natural behaviour

 

[SatchFan]

I'm quite enjoying the women's golf coverage. Well, it's either that or sitting with the wife going through repeats of Money for Nothing. No contest.

 

[Crow]

I'm so reluctant to post on this thread as painful experience tells me its impossible to penetrate the ignorance and bias held within the forum on the subject.

However, I think there's a very important point hiding behind the highlighted part. You're in danger of actually stumbling onto something. So why not have a long hard think and hazard a guess why it might be?

I'd say the answer was pretty obvious.

it's one of, if not the only, women's sports that gets any decent coverage.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Even if this was true, which it absolutely isn't, do you think that's just because it's women playing? Or is it because you've only seen the first two rounds, the coverage was crap, there's no fans and you don't watch enough women's golf to know and care about the players?

Or I have watched plenty of ladies golf and I find this current event very boring and lacking in excitement - my wife attempted to watch it as well and turned off. The only time I have watched a ladies golf event and seen something that was getting exciting was the Solhiem Cup. And yes I have found some of the Mens events boring at times but this is a Major - it’s supposed to be the pinnacle but it’s very very slow and dull.

Non golf fans turning it on would quickly turn off.

It would be great if they showed some Womens hockey as that has a level of excitement

 

[Swinglowandslow]

Even if this was true, which it absolutely isn't, do you think that's just because it's women playing? Or is it because you've only seen the first two rounds, the coverage was crap, there's no fans and you don't watch enough women's golf to know and care about the players?

Your last three posts have me puzzled. You are in a strop about something apparently, though why I don't know.
I am watching the women's us open. I enjoy it, it's good golf.
I don't think the coverage is crap , it's no worse than the men's. There is a gap for some reason where Sky don't get fed the transmission, don't know why that is. Bit of a bummer but there it is.
Now ,what were you getting at when you seemed to have a go at my belief that women watch tennis more than other sports. I think that is a fact, that's all, but you seem to think it depicts an attitude.?
I base my observations on watching Wimbledon etc, the major tennis events have lots of women supporters, more than golf or rugby and possibly football.
Been like that for years.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

You are using this event and your reaction to it to suggest there isn't a place for coverage of women's sport.

As someone who watches as much golf as anyone I can assure you there are lots of turgid gentlemen's events but I don't see you questioning the validity of gentlemen's sport.

I haven’t made any suggestions at all nor have I question the validity of Ladies sport and maybe your own bias is shining through with your defences up the minute anyone posts anything negative about Womens Golf.

Golf to most non golf fans is dull and painful to watch - non cricket fans will say the same about cricket. That’s just a way of life I’m afraid and there is a reason why they don’t show as much ladies sport in Telly - it doesn’t appeal to enough people to justify them putting it on telly. And there are also men sports that have the same

 

[AmandaJR]

Good effort Karen but sadly, like you, I tend not to get too involved in the debate. Some of the responses to my posting of Meghan's musings were downright laughable, or maybe insulting, but to engage is like banging your head against a brick wall.

I'll keep popping bits in to such debates and hope they have the desired impact - to at least make people think on a bit...always the optimist!

 

[Imurg]

It's a classic Catch 22 situation.
Not enough coverage because nobody watches but nobody watches because there's not enough coverage.
It needs a massive commitment from a broadcaster to show as much as possible but it's a big gamble
It's got better recently as a lot of Women's golf was on YouTube for free. I watched quite a bit.
At times its every bit as slow and dull as the Men's game but it's also every bit as intriguing and exciting.
Sadly Football takes the Blue Whale's share of broadcasting time and money and I don't see an easy way back from that. Something has to take a step back to make the room.
I suspect it's an incredibly frustrating time to be at the top of women's golf at the moment..

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Bearing in mind that golf is only televised by commercial rather than public service broadcasters and those commercial organisations need to show their advertisers and sponsors that there is a viewing audience the problem would seem to be with the womens' sports authorities.

Convince the broadcasters that their sport will attract viewers and then coverage and, thus money, will follow.

At present there doesn't appear to be anything to suggest that the broadcasters are likely to start televising more women's events.

Yet apparently it is their fault and not that of the women's sport.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

You should examine your own bias rather than questioning mine.

It's a chicken and egg situation. The more coverage there is of anything the more people see and appreciate it and the more engaged they become with it. That's all people are asking for. Apparently only 4% of televised sport involves women, which is ridiculous. In this forum whenever anyone tries to suggest that's an issue and maybe something should be done we get bombarded with loads of nonsense that basically boils down to the view that women's sport isn't as worthwhile and valid as gentlemen's.

Sport coverage these days is on pay channels , its a business and the likes of Sky and BT will televise the sports that they believe will get them the most subscribers which then gets the advertisers etc etc - thats a chicken and egg scenario as well. If BT or SKY had a women’s sport only channel on PPV for example do you think it would get enough subscribers to make it viable for them to do it ?

It’s not just women’s sport that suffers - I’ll take hockey for example , it’s one of the most popular played sport in the country yet where is the televised coverage ? Restricted to once every four years for Olympics , at least there are some Ladies sports being broadcast.

 

[Imurg]

Why do you say that?
Every LPGA tournament is broadcast live and several LET tournaments are too.
The women at the top are absolute superstars, mainly in countries other than the US or anywhere in Europe.

I meant the Ladies in Europe on the LET.
LPGA is sitting pretty, LET got virtually nothing until the Youtube broadcasts

 

[Deleted member 18588]

It may seem harsh but this is professional sport that we are discussing and, these days, if it is to grow it needs TV coverage.

No sport, men's or women's, is owed anything by the broadcasters. Any sport has to sell itself.

No one questions the ability or commitment of women golfers both in Europe and elsewhere in the world but unless they can bring an audience with them they will remain participants in a very minor sport.

At present there is just not enough of us watching

 

[Imurg]

It may seem harsh but this is professional sport that we are discussing and, these days, if it is to grow it needs TV coverage.

No sport, men's or women's, is owed anything by the broadcasters. Any sport has to sell itself.

No one questions the ability or commitment of women golfers both in Europe and elsewhere in the world but unless they can bring an audience with them they will remain participants in a very minor sport.

At present there is just not enough of us watching

Is that because they don't want to..or because they can't?
I don't know.. has the research been done .?
How can the LET "bring an audience with them" if there's no audience because nobody can watch it.?
As I said, classic Catch 22 and I don't know the way out of it.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

I think this will be my last word on the thread because it nicely closes the circle with the OP. It'd be nice to see more coverage in the golf mags to help generate interest and build the fan base.

I agree. After all that should be an easy sell for the sport's governing bodies.

One problem I see is how few women who play the game at club level either watch or have any interest or knowledge of women's golf at the higher levels.

If they can't or won't be convinced then the task would appear insurmountable.