In sport, there have certainly been steps forward in celebrating women and increasing visibility. Despite these progressions, inequality remains prominent not only on the pitch, but in the places where sport is watched and how it is advertised.
There are, however, positive signs of change. In Brighton, Crossbar has recently opened as a dedicated venue prioritising women’s sport and claims to be the first of its kind in the UK. Everyone is welcome and men’s sport will still be shown, but the space has been intentionally designed with women in mind.
It’s not about asking every bar to follow suit or push men out, it’s about creating balance and recognising that creating spaces where women’s sport is the focus shouldn’t still feel groundbreaking in 2026.
Who gets the screen?
Sports isn’t just in the stadiums. It lives in the spaces viewers choose to watch and celebrate. And while women’s sport has made significant progress in recent years, inequality remains not only in pay, but in the hospitality spaces where the sport is celebrated.
I think it’s clear to everyone that men’s sport dominates pub screens most weekends, taking the prime-time slots. In contrast, women’s sports typically are often shown only during major tournaments or when no men’s sports are scheduled, despite the growing viewership from women.
Who gets the space?
The culture of sports bars and pubs is clearly aimed at men. All you have to do is a quick google search to see that. Marketing is typically heavily focused on imagery of men gathered around large screens, reinforcing a traditionally masculine sporting environment.
While women are increasingly present as fans and athletes, these spaces still feel designed with someone else in mind. Even when women’s matches are shown, the atmosphere tends to be marketed differently. Typically, there is less promotion as it doesn’t seem to be considered the main event.
There can be a subtle pressure to match drinking habits and navigate an environment where women’s sport is treated as secondary conversation. Personally, I would feel very out of place sitting in a typical sports bar and would maybe even feel the pressure to buy a pint instead of my preferred cocktail!
Could hospitality be the solution? This is not an argument against beer and tradition at all. I’m not asking for pretty pink themed pubs with cocktails on tap, but for a step into a world where women don’t feel second best, where their sport isn’t treated as filler content, switched off for a men’s fixture or hidden on a smaller screen with the sound down.
Subtle cues
Feeling ‘second best’ comes from the subtle cues such as matches not being promoted on social media and staff assuming customers only want to watch men’s games.
The encouraging reality is that hospitality holds immense power to drive this change. Operators can make practical shifts. Schedule and advertise women’s fixture in advance, give them prime time slots, train staff to mention them and showcase upcoming tournaments on socials.
These small actions add up and send a powerful message about whose sport is valued.
International Women’s Day is not only about acknowledging inequality, but also about recognising where influence lies.
The question isn’t about whether women belong in sport. They always have. The real question is whether the spaces showing sport are ready to reflect that reality. Until then, the game will never truly be level.
