• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, November 1, 2022

TV consumers may like lots of content. But they really don't want to pay for it. New dramas, movies and comedy? 

Maybe collectively, on a new snazzy premium streaming platform.

But individually? What do they really want to pay for? 

Sports might be one category -- if paid TV regional sports networks is any indication. But... let's be more specific -- how about women's sports?

New research from the National Research Group via a survey by Ampere Analysis finds 91% of TV consumers are not willing to pay to watch women's sports. At the same time, 60% of fans believe sponsors should invest more money into women's sports.

The thinking here? “I'm not paying. You pay. And I will watch.”

We probably could find other TV categories in the same thinking mode. This research did not offer any data on what respondents thought about men's sports in terms of payment by consumers -- or, say, singing competition TV shows. Or news content. Or home remodeling programs.

We get the message. But unfortunately, it goes hand in hand with that professional female sports athletes do not get paid anywhere near the money that men do -- so much so that top WNBA basketball stars head to Europe in the off season to make a little extra cash. 

That's what Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury was doing playing for a team in Russia. She is currently imprisoned and arrested on drug charges in Russia for having less than a gram of hashish oil found in her luggage.

Back to women's sports, which the survey says will continue to rise: Overall, 85% of fans, including 79% of men, feel it is important for the growth of women's sports to continue.

Amid calls for growth in women's sports,79% of U.S. sports fans do not actively follow women's sports.

As with anything, you need good platforms, marketing, and time periods to help this along.

U.S. broadcast networks have a long way to go as well. They spend just 0.2% of media rights budgets on women’s sports leagues. 

Sports fans want women's sports to grow, but they don't want to pay for it.

And advertisers will not buy TV programming that does not produce results. That's where we are.