BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Strava is continuing in its ‘Strive for More’ commitment to support women in movement and sport with its third year sponsorship of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
As women’s sports continue to inspire a movement, Strava is teaming up with Togethxr to call on more coverage, viewership of and conversation around women’s cycling.
Additionally, Strava has joined with Tobin Heath, two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time FIFA World Cup Champion, U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team member, and co-founder of Re-Inc, to show an inside look behind the scenes at the dedication and grit of this year’s riders to further bring awareness and attention to the sport.
According to recent survey data from Strava, accessibility and interest in women’s sports content is still lagging behind men’s sports.
This disparity is particularly visible with women’s cycling.
Survey respondents were 26% less likely to have watched women’s sports as compared to men’s in the past three months.
A spokesperson for Straval described this result as “not surprising”, given that 15% of current sports coverage is dedicated to women’s leagues and teams (triple what it was five years ago).
Closing the gap in media coverage has the potential to significantly impact viewership and engagement, as 44% of respondents said they would watch more women’s sports if there was more social and media coverage.
There is still a perception bias to overcome, however, with 29% of respondents saying their top reason for not engaging was that men’s events are “more fun and dynamic to watch”.
“Women are the future of sports, new media and conversation that define what progress and equity is all about,” said Heath.
“It’s important to advocate for all women’s sports, and to continue to get out of our comfort zone. As an athlete who is also a newbie to cycling, I’m in awe of the women who sacrifice their blood, sweat and tears to get to the starting line of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
“I’m proud to rally the community on the ground and across the globe to give their time and attention to watch these women and their incredible and exciting sport.”
The survey was served to an external audience, not targeted at Strava athletes specifically, across both desktop and mobile.
Respondents are diverse in age, income, region, ethnicity and the gender split is equal.
In total, there were 3,680 respondents globally (Brazil, France, Spain, UK, US). Survey was conducted on July 15, 2024.
