Kate Johnson: The flourishing future of women's sports

The flourishing future of women's sports

Women's sports are surging in popularity around the world, with record-breaking viewership, attendance and revenue growth. And yet, social media algorithms still skew towards covering men's sports. Olympic rower Kate Johnson, who now leads global marketing strategy for sports and entertainment at Google, unpacks why this is still happening — and what it will take to level the playing field for women’s sports.

Olympian rower, global marketing director at Google

Social media feeds and search platforms overwhelmingly promote men's sports, making women's achievements nearly invisible to casual fans. For every 19 stories about men's sports, only one covers women, fueling a cycle of underinvestment and limiting young girls' inspiration. When girls cannot see athletes who look like them thriving, they are twice as likely as boys to drop out of sports by age 14. Collective action from brands, fans, and tech is beginning to rewrite this narrative and build a more visible future.

Algorithms Hide Women's Sports, But Visibility Can Change Everything

While women’s sports are breaking viewership and revenue records, they remain largely invisible in digital feeds shaped by biased algorithms. For every nineteen stories about men’s sports, only one about women makes it onto the shelves of major platforms. This lack of visibility fuels a cycle of underinvestment, with girls still dropping out of sports at twice the rate of boys by age fourteen. Changing the system requires action from brands, media, athletes, and fans alike to make women’s sports impossible to ignore.