ODT continues to pave way in women’s sport coverage

Sometimes it is nice to see our work paying off. The Otago Daily Times has made significant strides in women’s sport coverage, leading all individual media organisations in a big way, the 2025 Sport New Zealand-Insentia Media and Gender Study reveals. The ODT led all news organisations for gender balance with 33.1%, driven by strong Women’s Cricket World Cup coverage and a broad spread of reporting across “lesser-covered women’s sports such as basketball, hockey and alpine skiing’’, the report said. The newspaper also led for visibility of women in sport news coverage with 36.1% — rising 5.1% — and led gender balance for all print coverage of women’s sport with 32.9%, an increase of 2.1% and ahead of NZME at 27.3% and Stuff at 23.1%. The study, which is in its sixth year and will now be undertaken every two years, also showed online news had the lowest proportion of women’s coverage overall with 25%, but the ODT was the sole organisation with a higher gender balance online than other formats with 33.3%. Women’s sport coverage made up 26% overall in 2025, down from 27% in 2024 when women broke the ceiling at the Paris Olympics, and female visibility also rose to 26%. It might not seem like much, but considering the inaugural report in 2020 showed women’s sport only made up 15% of news coverage, it is a big improvement. Interestingly, the study revealed coverage of the Rugby World Cup in England rose to 42% compared to 38% for the World Cup on home soil in 2022, while last year’s ODI Cricket World Cup received the same coverage as the World Cup in New Zealand in 2022 with 33%. The Warriors women’s return proved how influential a home team can be for a sports coverage, jumping from being the 22nd most covered sport in 2024 to seventh in 2025. While it is important to celebrate headway made in women’s sport coverage, there is still more to do to bridge the gap. Super Rugby Aupiki receives significantly less coverage than Super Rugby Pacific. Aupiki only has four teams — is it time to add another? — and just seven rounds, including the final, compared to their male counterparts, who play 18 rounds, including a three-week playoff series, and play Australian sides. The Otago Spirit only get seven games — five without finals — during the Farah Palmer Cup season, compared to the NPC, which has 13 rounds, and New Zealand Rugby does little to help foster engagement by scheduling games at 11.30am. The Otago Sparks cricketers lose coverage by only having two competitions, compared to the Volts, who play eight four-day games. Netball coverage has also fallen back due to having fewer games. The ANZ Premiership was cut from three rounds to two last year, players faced pay cuts this year due to the reduced broadcast deal, and who even knows if they will have a competition to report on in 2027? Investment is crucial, and our women need more of it. kayla.hodge@odt.co.nz

ODT continues to pave way in women’s sport coverage

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