Women’s sports are fighting an uphill battle against our social media algorithms

We also need better media literacy, especially for younger audiences. Fans should be encouraged to explore beyond what’s served to them, seek out women’s sport channels, and recognise when the algorithm is reinforcing narrow viewing habits.

In short, visibility drives viability. If women’s sport becomes digitally invisible, it risks becoming financially unsustainable.

In an age where AI can dictate what we see, the battle for attention becomes even more crucial.

AI threatens to compound these historic disparities. A 2024 study found algorithms trained on historical data reproduce and even amplify gender bias.

How sports consumption is changing

Over time, content from women’s competitions risks being squeezed out, not because it is unworthy but because it has not yet achieved the same levels of engagement.

But without visibility, this momentum can fade. We must remember that algorithms don’t just reflect our preferences, they shape them.

It means women’s sport, already underrepresented in traditional media, risks becoming all but invisible to many users in this AI-driven ecosystem.

The very systems that could democratise access to sport content may, in fact, be reinforcing old inequalities.

Also, generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Sora and others don’t just curate content, they now create it.

Because in the age of AI, what we don’t see may be just as powerful as what we do.

But here is the problem: algorithms prioritise content that is already popular.

If we want women’s sport to thrive every week, we need to ensure it is seen, heard and valued in the digital spaces where fandom now lives.

Teaching this in schools, sport clubs and community programs could make a big difference.

That means curated playlists, featured stories and digital campaigns that surface content outside the fan’s usual algorithmic bubble.

This is not a glitch, it is a structural flaw in how digital platforms are designed to serve content.

Women’s sport is more and more getting the attention it deserves.

Despite this progress, an invisible threat looms, one that risks undoing years of advocacy and momentum.

In sport, this can be deeply problematic.

Australia is well placed to lead this change because our women’s national teams are globally competitive, our domestic leagues are growing and fan appetite is rising.

Algorithms, trained to maximise engagement and profits, are deciding what appears in your feed, which video auto-plays next, and which highlights are pushed to the top of your screen.

An uphill battle

If a user clicks on highlights from the AFL men’s competition for example, the algorithm will respond by serving up more men’s footy content.

In Europe, the Artificial Intelligence Act, one of the world’s first comprehensive AI regulations, requires transparency and oversight for high-risk AI applications. Australia and other countries should consider similar obligations for content platforms.

That threat is the algorithm.

So, the more content the algorithm generates, the more it reproduces the same imbalance. What was once human bias is now being automated and scaled across millions of screens.

As more fans consume sport through digital platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and increasingly, AI-curated streaming services such as WSC Sports, the content they see is being selected not by editors but by artificial intelligence (AI).

What can be done?

This creates what researchers call an echo chamber effect, where users are shown more of what they already engage with and less of what they don’t.

Stadiums are filling, television ratings for many sports are climbing and athletes such as the Matildas’ Mary Fowler, triple Olympic gold medallist Jess Fox and star cricketer Ellyse Perry are becoming household names.

Platforms must balance personalisation with diversity.

Match reports, fan commentary, video summaries and social posts are being generated by machines. But these systems are trained on historical data, which overwhelmingly favours men’s sport.

And while progress has been made, particularly during events such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup or the Olympics, regular, everyday visibility remains an uphill battle.

We can’t turn off the algorithm. But we can hold it to account.

Young fans raised on algorithmically curated content are less likely to see women’s sport unless they actively search for it. And if they don’t see it, they don’t form emotional attachments to it.

That usually means men’s sport.

A 2024 study in Victoria shows only around 15% of traditional sports media coverage in the state goes to women’s sport. This mirrors a 2019 European Union study across 22 countries, which found 85% of print media coverage is dedicated to male athletes.

An opportunity for Australia

That has major implications for ticket sales, merchandise, viewership and sponsorship investment.

This may sound abstract, but it has real-world consequences.

Sport organisations and broadcasters need to create intentional pathways for fans to discover women’s sport, even if they haven’t previously engaged with it.

These would evaluate whether content recommendation engines are systemically under-representing women’s sport and propose changes.

Platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Netflix should be required to undergo independent algorithmic audits.