How to get LPGA, women’s sports more visibility, Ally leads charge to eliminate media gap

Women's sports are slowly but surely on the rise.

As a feminist who specifically promotes equality across the sports world, I didn't realize how out of touch with reality I was until I watched three events in one day.

Last Sunday, Ally Bank I was invited to Washington DC to watch the Equinox of Women's Sports, three professional events held on the same day in different locations in the region. I attended my first Solheim Cup, my first DC Spirit soccer match, and my first time in person. WNBA Washington Majestics vs Atlanta Dream.

I have spoken many times about equality between men's and women's sports and why more people should become fans and watch the women's side of sports.

After attending these events, I realized that my claims about equality were superficial.

Stephanie Marciano, head of sports and entertainment marketing at Ally Bank, spoke about the biggest difference between men's and women's sports:

“The media gap is the biggest barrier to the growth of women's football,” Marciano said in an exclusive interview. Playthrough.

“Unless you can watch the games on TV and read about women's sports 24/7, it's impossible for women's sports to catch up. So we keep shouting loudly that there has to be equal media equality between men's and women's sports.”

From the Solheim Cup to the WNBA, all in one day

It was a once in a lifetime dream for me to watch Team USA go head to head and win the Solheim Cup for the first time since 2017. It was probably my favorite moment of the day.

Allied player Lilia Vu came out strong at the end, scoring half the points the U.S. needed to win.

She said two things particularly impressed her.

“that “We don't feel like we're big time,” Vu said in an exclusive interview. Playthrough. “We're playing the game we love, and it happens to be our careers.”

These are some of the biggest names in women's golf and for her to say she doesn't feel like they're big names was an eye-opener.

She also said the Solheim fans gave her something she'd never experienced in her career.

“There were so many fans, it was so loud, everyone was yelling my name,” Vu said. “I didn't know what to do. I was like, 'Wow, everyone is yelling my name.' I'd never experienced anything like that before.”

Robert Trent Golf Club was buzzing with activity, and the atmosphere was great from the time we boarded the shuttle at 7:30am until we entered the grounds. I think this was the best golf-related event I've ever been to while covering the sport.

Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images

I learned something at the women’s golf tournament that I didn’t get at the men’s tournament.

The cheers from the crowd were really loud. I didn't expect a women's golf tournament to be that loud, but I was surprised.

That environment isn't always there, so for her parents to hear the chants of “LIL-IA, LIL-IA, LIL-IA” was a dream come true for her. Fans coming together for their hometown team was something special.

“My mom is so sweet. She said the next day she was so moved when she heard everyone screaming my name because it was the first time she'd ever experienced such an atmosphere of everyone running so hard for her, like she was their daughter. It was so amazing,” Vu said.

When you consider that a five-time LPGA champion has never had her name shouted like this, it shows another difference between men’s and women’s sports, which is why she’s proud to work with Allie.

“A lot of people are all talk and no action,” Vu said of ALLI and other brands. “I know ALLI will push us forward, and they've done so much. I'm so honored to wake up every day, put my visor on and represent ALLI.”

After the Solheim Cup, the rest of the day's events opened my eyes to how much female athletes have grown in the last few years.

I got a new respect for soccer because of two of the U.S. Olympians on that team, Trinity Rodman and Casey Kruger. They were very aggressive. They made me a soccer fan.

But the stadium had a lot of United DC emblems. Yes, the field was shared, but it felt like the women's team rented the field. The team store was not open on Sundays, which is not the case at a men's game.

Photo: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

There was also merchandise for sale, but there were few items and it was confusing. I wanted a Rodman jersey, but I couldn't buy it. However, the team was very interesting, so I wanted to see how they would finish the season.

The WNBA gave me that kind of energy too.

Jerseys and other merchandise were also for sale at the event, but it felt like an afterthought.

The Washington Majestics also played in a gym smaller than my high school gym. I don't know if it was their regular gym or not, but it didn't feel like a pro game.

All that aside, it was an awesome, intense game and reminded me how much I love women's basketball.

Growing women's football to achieve 50/50 equality goals

Attending these three events also showed me that as a journalist, we don’t support the female side of sport enough, especially women’s golf.

Unfortunately, many of these sports have been pushed aside and only receive extensive coverage during the biggest matches. This is a lack of fairness in the media.

Ally Bank has made a 50/50 pledge for 2022, which means they will spend an equal amount of money on men's and women's media.

“This is essentially how we are accountable and transparent with the market,” Marciano said. “When we launched this pledge in May 2022, 90% of our sports media was men's sports and 10% was women's sports, which is probably the case for most brands today.”

Talking to Marciano made me realise just a small part of what I can do as a golf journalist.

These teams have their supporters, so it's not just about getting more people to come to the games and become fans. Journalists need to highlight the women's game more. Without coverage, it's hard for anyone to know what's going on in the sports world.

Writing about these women and bringing them attention will help more people take an interest in their teams – just look at how popular they were at the Olympics, where they led Team USA with 67 of their 126 medals.

Photo: Greg Fiume/Getty Images

Plus, there are players like Caitlin Clark, A'ja Wilson, Angel Reese, and Candace Parker who are bringing women's basketball to people's attention. There are so many talented players in the WNBA, and it's great to see them finally getting the love they deserve.

Look at the progress in women's golf. Nelly Korda, ranked number one in the world, has won six times in 2024 and everyone knows it. Vu and Rose Chan have two more wins to go. And Charlie Hull is showing her true self. It's that kind of personality that draws fans.

But despite the great strides made, progress has been slow, especially in the media sector.

For example, this week the women are in Cincinnati for the Kroger Queen Cities Championship. The PGA Tour is off so they should get priority, but the men on the DP World Tour get priority instead. The time difference for the BMW PGA Championship makes it perfect for playing in the morning, but when it's the women's time, tune in live from the LPGA event.

The women's field was scheduled to be broadcast live from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, but the BMW PGA Championship was postponed on Friday because of inclement weather, causing the Golf Channel to extend its coverage and costing the women's field more than 45 minutes of airtime.

At 4 p.m. sharp, the Golf Channel resumed its men's golf coverage of the Korn Ferry Tour. The women compete at the highest level of professional golf, and there's no reason to cut them off, especially at tournaments below the PGA Tour.

I respect the Korn Ferry Tour and mean no disrespect to them, but I was upset with the Golf Channel's actions.

Get your fans to take up more women's sports because that's how you get people interested. Women's golf is not boring.

Journalists must help bridge the media gap between men's and women's sports, especially my fellow golf reporters. Women deserve coverage, even if they don't get the same number of clicks as men. We can't continue to ignore women and expect them to be second-rate athletes.

It wasn't until this spring equinox that I realized how ignorant I was about the lack of gender equality in women's golf, but now that I have a better understanding, I plan to follow the LPGA as much as possible.

Let's stop ignoring women or putting them on the back burner. Women's sports can be profitable and it's time to make an effort. After all, it's 2024 and no one has an excuse to dislike women's sports, but it will take all of us to close the gap.

Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow us for more golf articles. Follow You can follow us on all major social platforms. You can also follow us on Twitter Follow Her Instagram account is @golf_girl_sl.