Gender and diversity in mediated sport marketing: using "old" and "new" media

This chapter examines the relationship between the “old” and the “new” in the marketing strategies of women’s sport. We observe a theoretical shift from hegemonic masculinity to “third-wave” feminism in research on gender and the relationship between femininity and athleticism in sport promotion. Sportswomen use digital media for self-presentation and this allows for a nuanced interpretation of the ambivalent media representations at the intersections of gender, race, sexuality, and disability. The chapter also notes a shift in the marketing of women’s sports in the early 2020s from sexualization of sportswomen to selling empowerment and gender equity. “New” media serve both as a tool toward functionalist goals and as a space for contemporary articulations of feminism. Case studies and industry reports illustrate trends in the visibility and economic viability of women’s sport. The chapter puts feminist theoretical approaches in conversation to illustrate the consequences of media visibility and marketing strategies of women’s sport.