Foul on the Play: Examining Gender Inequities in Professional North American Sports (2025)

As women’s professional sports in North America have exploded in popularity, female athletes’ insufficient compensation is being recognized and addressed. However, the long-term viability of professional women’s leagues requires that inequities beyond compensation gaps be resolved. This research reviews media reports and the scholarly literature about the sustainability of women’s hockey, basketball and soccer leagues in North America. Initial findings suggest that geographic inaccessibility, inadequate advertising, investment, and media rights deals, substandard facilities, lack of player involvement and league transparency, and inefficient infrastructure are some of the systemic inequities that threaten league sustainability. This research will draw attention to inequities that have gone unrecognized in the mainstream and propose steps toward creating sustainability in women’s professional sports.