With the close of 2023, the Paris 2024 Olympics emerge on the horizon, setting a new standard for gender equality in sports. Our investigative lens has been trained on the social media landscapes of National Olympic Committees (NOCs), dissecting the gender demographics of online followers in anticipation of events in Paris, France.
Objective
Our mission transcended critique, aiming instead to cast a light on the state of digital engagement. We scrutinized over 40 million followers and their demographics across platforms such as TikTok, Meta, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter), to reveal opportunities for NOCs to level the online playing field.
Key Discoveries
General Trends: Out of 117 NOCs, there's a gender imbalance with 56.8% male followers and 24.4% female, alongside an unidentified segment.
Spotlight Analysis: Team Canada leads NOCs in female-to-male ratio with 49.23% women and 45.71% men, followed by Team GB at 51.19% men and 44.03% women.
Pakistan shows a significant gender divide, with male followers at 84.39%.
In the Middle East, Bahrain’s social handles reflect a male majority of 30.71%, in contrast to 7.47% female followers.
Mali in Africa also displays a notable gender disparity, with 78.29% men compared to only 13.22% women.
Team Guatemala shows a split of 68.56% male to 25.82% female followers.
In South America, Team Venezuela exhibits a noticeable gender difference, with 67.70% male and 24.07% female followers.
Data Significance
An examination of the data from more than 302.4 million individuals reveals a striking disparity: despite women's interest in Paris, France, and the Olympic Games being pronounced at 53.6%, this enthusiasm is not equally represented in the follower demographics of National Olympic Committees. This gap underscores a significant opportunity for broadening audience engagement.
Share of Voice has the expertise to capitalize on this potential for enhanced diversity. With our know-how and tools, we can help level the playing field, achieving a more balanced gender representation among followers.
Conclusion and Gratitude
As we turn the page on 2023, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all the advocates of Share of Voice who have championed equal access to data. Our examination of gender demographics on NOCs' social media channels is a testament to our commitment to fostering a more inclusive digital landscape, in tune with the spirit of the gender-balanced Paris Olympics.