After setting a 50:50 gender ratio among athletes who will compete in the Paris Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is also going to ensure there is a similar gender parity in broadcasting as well.
Ensuring gender-balanced coverage of the Olympic and Paralympic Games remains a top priority for Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), the permanent host broadcaster. OBS is dedicated to fair and balanced storytelling for all the athletes, aiming to close the gender gap in key broadcast roles.
According to Yiannis Exarchos, OBS’s CEO, this commitment involves empowering women in production, editorial, and technical positions to foster a more inclusive broadcast environment in sports. “By empowering women with the skills and experiences needed to thrive in production, editorial or technical roles, we hope to contribute to a more inclusive and diverse broadcast environment in sport”, she said.
For the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, OBS plans to significantly increase the number of women in operational and managerial roles. This includes hiring approximately 35 female commentators, occupying two-thirds of the OBS Broadcast Venue Manager positions with women, and ensuring a 50/50 split between men and women in senior staff positions at the Broadcast Operations Centre. Additionally, the number of women in venue production teams will be increased, particularly in roles producing images to ensure equal portrayal of male and female athletes.
To promote gender-equal representation, OBS contributed to the Portrayal Guidelines of the IOC. These guidelines aim to facilitate balanced coverage and fair portrayal of athletes across all media platforms.
IOC accords top priority to Gender Parity in Paris Olympics!@Olympics @iocmedia @Paris2024 @RohanDC98 #Paris2024 #Olymics2024 https://t.co/5AKokOB2zt
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) March 12, 2024
In terms of talent development, OBS is implementing training programmes to ensure gender balance in the media industry. The ‘Framing the Future’ camera training programme aims to bring more women into the operational side of broadcasting. Moreover, OBS is offering commentary training to athletes, with a focus on equipping Olympians and Paralympians with practical skills for on-screen and behind-the-scenes roles. The ‘Broadcast Training Programme’ continues to inspire new generations of broadcast professionals worldwide, with 57% of selected students for Paris 2024 being women.
Lastly, OBS is focused on achieving gender parity in coverage on Olympics.com, with a real emphasis on amplifying women’s voices and stories. Currently, global content on Olympics.com includes 36% of stories exclusively about women, 33% about men, and 31% mixed.