ADVOCACY IN WOMEN’S SPORT: Business Opportunity and/or Political Action?

In response to social issues, women’s sports teams have engaged in advocacy for gender equality, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ rights. With a particular focus on the role of digital media in advocacy, the chapter draws on several conceptual frameworks and interview/survey data with women’s sports professionals to illustrate three central arguments about the relationship between advocacy and professionalization. The first narrative, supported by industry reports and sport management literature, argues that women’s sport is a profitable investment and taking a stance on social issues is lucrative for brand loyalty. The second narrative, through the lens of corporate social advocacy, argues that taking a stance on social issues is a relationship-building function between sport organizations and their stakeholders. Corporate social advocacy also allows for a focus on how women’s sport advocacy contributes to social change within local communities. The third narrative cautions against potential backlash in response to the heightened visibility of advocacy. Drawing on critical sociology and feminist media studies literature to illustrate structural problems, the chapter argues for a continued multidisciplinary approach to studying advocacy in women’s sport in ways that build bridges between multiple theoretical perspectives and research methodologies.