U.S. Olympians Sue Bird, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, and Alex Morgan have launched a new media company to change the way women in sport are portrayed in the media.
The brand, named Togethxr, was launched on Tuesday with the announcement coming via a post on Twitter.
Togethxr will include activism, culture, wellness, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle in its content. And although it will be primarily aimed at Gen Z and Millennials, the group hopes to shine a light on the successes and achievements of women of all ages throughout the past, present, and future of sport.
In a joint statement, the four founders said:
4 Female Olympic Athletes Launch Media Company Togethxr that show that women receive less than 5% of sports coverage. This is despite the fact that some of the most successful athletes on the planet are female.“We have our individual legacies as athletes through championships and medals, but what’s most important to us is championing for the next generation of women — because that will be the legacy that lasts.
4 Female Olympic Athletes Launch Media Company Togethxr
Speaking to the New York Times, Manuel said:
“Being a woman, you are told you are too much or not enough of any one thing, all the time, especially in sports. It is a consciousness that isn’t even ingrained, it is a byproduct. If we are talking literal financial opportunities, you have to dimensionalize yourself because there isn’t enough respect for women athletes and their athletic performance.”
Morgan noted that the lack of million-dollar salaries for many female athletes means that they have to put so much more effort into a career than their male counterparts. This means that unless they are a superstar, they need to fight to receive any media coverage whatsoever.
In the same New York Times feature, Morgan said:
“We don’t have $40 million saved up in the bank to live on for however long. We don’t have sponsorships for millions of dollars with one footwear company. As a female athlete, you have to be more than a female athlete.”
TOGETHXR is backed by Magnet Companies, a private equity holding company founded and funded by media veterans.
Image credit: clappstar / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Based in London, Natasha is a former sports journalist with experience working for some of the biggest athletes & brands in the world of sports and iGaming.