“Women make up 44% of all athletes, yet they only receive 16% of sports media coverage. Togethxr exists to change that.”
When you first click on Togethxr’s website, this is the mission statement shown. This mission is why women’s sports have had a drastic change in viewership over the last five years.
What is togethxr?
Togethxr is a media and commerce brand founded by four elite women athletes who joined forces with sports media veteran Jessica Robertson. They all saw a clear problem with the lack of media coverage in women’s sports and knew something needed to change.
founders
One of the founders is Alex Morgan. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, two-time World Cup champion and two-time U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year.
Another founder is Chloe Kim. She is a three-time consecutive Olympic medalist, an eight-time X Games medalist and a member of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
The third founder is Simone Manuel. She is a five-time Olympic medalist, the first Black woman to win both the 50m and 100m freestyle at a single World Aquatics Championship, the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic swimming gold medal and founder of The Simone Manuel Foundation.
The last founder is Sue Bird. She is a four-time WNBA Champion, 13-time WNBA All-Star, five-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time NCAA Champion at UConn, co-founder of the podcast “A Touch More” and the host of “Bird’s Eye View.”
Togethxr Changed The Narrative
For years, one statement would always ring through sports audiences at any level: “No one watches women’s sports.” This statement was often used as an insult, but there was some truth to it.
Historically, men’s sporting events have received more coverage and audience engagement than women’s events of the same kind. After all, why would someone want to do something that no one else is doing? Most people don’t like being the odd one out.
This is how the campaign, named after the slogan, “Everyone watches women’s sports,” came to life. This slogan changed the narrative. If everyone is watching women’s sports, then others will want to join.
This slogan was manifesting what would come to be true. At the start of this campaign, women’s sports still had low viewership ratings, but this slogan created camaraderie around women’s sports, leading to larger audiences. It created a community.
beyond the slogan
Togethxr has been keeping sports fans engaged with the game beyond the last whistle. If you go to their website, you can find a handful of ways to get involved with women’s sports. Togethxr wants fans to have the chance to not only connect with their favorite players, but also with other fans too.
The founders know the new digital ways to bring fans in beyond the TV screen. Togethxr produces podcasts, films and editorials, all highlighting women athletes.
As mentioned before, people want to be a part of a community, and that is what Togethxr has and continues to build. They offer community resources from job postings within sports to partnering with sports bars and food pantries to help families in need. They also highlight bars dedicated to women’s sports, as another way to build community.
I personally believe, without Togethxr, women’s sports would not be where they are today. They wouldn’t have as much viewership, hype or interests as they do now.
These elite women saw a lack of coverage in women’s sports and took it upon themselves to change the narrative. Now, little girls won’t be teased with the outdated saying, “No one watches women’s sports,” but they will be empowered by the hard-fought saying, “Everyone watches women’s sports.”