Paris (AFP)
More broadcast than before, women's sport only timidly breaks through on television screens, but its promoters think that they can set up "a virtuous circle": encourage practice, "break prejudices" and also make it a show that sells.
"We are making progress, but we still have a good margin of progress!", Summarizes Nodjialem Myaro, president of the Women's Handball League and 2003 world champion.
This week, the Superior Audiovisual Council (CSA) is continuing the operation "Always female sport", initiated in 2014 and intended to increase the visibility of sportswomen in the media.
In a few years, women's sports broadcasts have passed the 10% mark (between 14 and 18% in 2016)
But, the 20% target posted in 2020 has fallen into the water because of the Covid.
"This is the theory of small steps, there is a better consideration of broadcasters on this subject", explains Carole Gomez, researcher in the geopolitics of sport at Iris (Institute of international and strategic relations).
"International and national federations are realizing that this is a new product and have a real marketing approach by saying to themselves that the pool of consumers for men's sport has perhaps reached its limit", she decrypts, with "media and sponsors looking to develop markets".
- "Do the same" -
Thierry Cheleman, current director of Sports for Canal +, had bet on women's football in 2009 on D8, he recalls.
Canal + bought the rights to Women's Division 1 in 2018 for five years.
"Our goal is to make it a great championship," he told AFP, highlighting "the acceleration of the game which makes it a great spectacle".
Even if he does not hide that there is still "a lot of work to be done" in terms of women's sport.
The success of the 2019 Women's World Cup in France has triggered registrations under the blessing of the French Football Federation (FFF) which is pursuing a proactive policy.
A few years before, women's rugby had also garnered new recruits after the broadcast of the World Cup, observes Carole Gomez.
"We must succeed in triggering this virtuous circle," she explains.
"The fact of seeing football and women's rugby is quite recent", she notes, and allows "to break a certain number of prejudices".
Without media coverage, no models.
No possibility of "dreaming of doing the same" for young girls in front of the goal, the basket or on the mats, as explained the Minister of Sports, Roxana Maracineanu, in an interview with AFP.
- "Shy evolution" -
"Me, my models, it was Stéphane Stoecklin and Frédéric Volle!", Handball players of the Barjots team, world champions in 1995, of which she had the posters, says Nodjialem Myaro.
"We have to get out of the vicious circle: there is no audience, so it's not watched, so it's not broadcast, so there will be less audience ...", she pleads.
Despite its results, the women's hand experienced setbacks in 2019 with the withdrawal of the BeIN channel, the state coming to the aid of the championship, broadcast on Sport en France, channel of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF).
Questioned by AFP, judoka Clarisse Agbegnenou also considers it important to exist, including "outside of judo", enough to feed reports and documentaries.
"I also had problems with women, I also work to have a life outside of judo, I also want to be a mother, we have other activities outside of sport, it's good to talk about it. has a story. The life of sportswomen as such is interesting, ”she explains.
Current president of the French Basketball Federation (FFB), Jean-Pierre Siutat, remembers the sudden notoriety of French basketball players after their silver medal at the London Olympics in 2012. "They were recognized when they stopped in stations service!".
However, he adds, if it is "in the process of evolving in the mentality of the partners, it is still very shy", he adds, making himself strong with other personalities of the world of sport. to work on "a standard for a French-style professional women's sport", with behind the question of the status and remuneration of players.
© 2021 AFP