OVER THE years, basketball has remained the most popular sport in the country. However, its popularity has solely been focused on men’s basketball, as women’s basketball leagues like the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) encounter poor game scheduling, subpar media coverage, and minimal financial investments.

In order to overcome these discrepancies and grow women’s basketball, the media and the business sector must work together to overhaul the current systems and change the way the women’s game is treated, perceived, and marketed.

Same game, different treatment

When it comes to air time on national television, attention from fans, and support from stakeholders, the UAAP Women’s Basketball Tournament has paled in comparison to its male counterpart. A testament to this is how all UAAP Men’s Basketball matches have been aired on live television since 1991. Meanwhile, the women’s basketball tournament aired its first ever elimination round game in 2019 in a matchup between Ateneo and De La Salle University.

Although airing elimination round matches will lead to more media exposure for women’s basketball, there is still progress to be made towards equalizing the live television presence of the men’s and women’s UAAP tournaments. The lack of televised games has made it difficult for sports fans to watch women’s basketball games. For Jhazmin Joson—a member of the Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team (AWBT), her family had to resort to Facebook live streams in order to watch the AWBT’s games.

Furthermore, televising the women’s games are also beneficial to the players’ performance. Joson noted how she would feel more inspired to play better if their games are televised. “For me, I think my motivation to play will boost, and it will also give me that excitement to play,” she said.

Apart from the unequal amount of media coverage, another disparity between the men’s and the women’s games is the scheduling of games. Throughout the UAAP season, matches in the women’s tournament are scheduled in the morning, while the men’s tournament has its games slotted in the afternoon. Having morning games for the women’s tournament makes it difficult for fans to watch games given their busy schedules.

“You’d have to go [to Mall of Asia Arena] for the women’s game at 8:00 AM, and you’d have to wait for the [men’s] game at 2:00 PM or 4:00 PM. You’d be there the whole day, and it would eat up your whole weekend,” AWBT Program Manager Erika Dy said. Because of this poor scheduling, the women’s tournament receives far less fan support compared to the popularity of the men’s tournament.

While fan interest is arguably based on personal preference, the way women’s basketball is treated and perceived must be restructured for it to truly burst onto the Philippine sporting scene.

Redefining basketball

For women’s basketball to be treated equally with the men’s game, focus must be given to reshaping the notion that women’s basketball is not as entertaining as the men’s game. “The fundamental problem is the perception regarding [women’s basketball]. People see it as, ‘You can’t sell it, it’s not as good quality’,” AWBT Head Coach LA Mumar shared.

Further cementing these false notions of inferiority is the absence of highlight dunks and alley-oops in the women’s game, which brings entertainment value in the men’s game. As a result of this misconception, the private sector is less willing to pour more resources into the sport. “If we can change the view [on women’s basketball] and show that these [female players] are really good at their craft and their sport, businesses will invest in them,” stated Mumar.

However, to discount women’s basketball as a lesser form of the game is a grave disservice to basketball itself, as Mumar and Dy agree that women’s basketball provides a more polished fundamental interpretation of the sport. These fundamentals translate into more accurate shooting, higher free throw percentages, and better ball movement which can bring more fans into the game. “The brand of basketball with women’s [basketball] is very fundamentally sound, there’s really such a premium to [women’s basketball], and I really appreciate it to be honest,” Mumar opined.

Given these misconceptions about the sport, there is a need for systemic change that includes expanded media coverage, increased investments from the business sector, and heightened support from sports fans.

While the process of increasing investments is a financially strenuous undertaking, there is a long-term prize for investors: Profit in a market catered to the nation’s most beloved sport. Eventually, the investments from the private sector will reap profits as a result of increased media coverage and fan following.

Closing the gap

While there has been some improvement in the media coverage given to women’s basketball, there is still a long way to go to close the gap between men’s and women’s basketball. To start, the media must put in more effort to change the perception of women’s basketball as an inferior sport to its flashier male counterpart. Additionally, the private sector must also invest more into the sport in order to increase media coverage and fan following. As female players continue to play the game at the high level like their male counterparts, it is time to give them the same respect and recognition that they deserve.