The pay gap between female athletes and males athletes explained
The pay gap between woman and men athletes has become a point of conversation more recently. Forbes released their annual look at the highest-paid athletes last month. The pay rate by sports comparison really explains the vast contrast amongst men and woman. When looking at the highest-paid athletes we quickly realize that although wages are not comparable on a sport to sport base. An example would be the NBA average salary of $37.4 million to the WNBA bleak $117,500. Most of our highest-paid athletes in the country are men while a few women share the glory.
The point of this article was less to get into the comparable individuals and their salaries it was more with the intent of educating why this is an issue. We as consumers and fans can help close the gap. When was the last time you saw someone wearing a WNBA merchandise? When was the last time you or someone you knew flew across the country to catch the latest NWSL match? We need to understand that the pay is relative to the money being produced. Sports are a business as well as a form of entertainment.
We as consumers and fans need to purchase merchandise and participate in live games. We need to buy season tickets and fill local bars to watch the games. This will force the market to in return pay their athletes more and balance the scales. We have seen a growth of meme’s in support to the United States Women’s National Soccer team but yet to really see a spike in online merchandise sales and actual initiatives. Let’s learn to be proactive as a generation and make changes.
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