Google Amplify Plans to Advance Gender Equality in Sport

Google’s Director of Global Sports, Media and Entertainment Marketing, Kate Johnson,  shares plans on how the company can use its reach and resources to advance gender equality in sport.

Google is one of the world’s most recognisable brands with  the company’s director revealing plans to provide extra exposure for women’s competitions.

In 2021, the tech company focused its attention to women’s basketball, by becoming a top-tier sponsor of the Women’s National Basketball Association.

Now in 2022, Google partnered with the International Basketball Federations, making this the first ever global partner for the women’s game, as well as the recent Women’s World Cup.

Johnson, who won a silver medal for team USA at the 2004 Olympic Games dives into what the plans are in terms of the various partnerships, which include opening the door for extended and expanded agreements.

“Google’s ethos is we want to be understood as the world’s most helpful company. Obviously, our products are incredibly helpful. Then that gets into the gender discussion, which is driving discoverability and inclusion.

“I think the Women’s Basketball World Cup goes under the radar she, to know that some of the best WNBA players were going to head over and represent Team USA, it made a lot of sense for us to think about that.

“Simultaneously, they weren’t going to be showing the tournament on live television in the US. Because search plays such a role in discoverability, it seems incongruous to have a partnership with FIBA where you’re helping fans find what they want to find but then not be able to watch it on broadcast,” she stated.

Speaking about the lack of exposure for women’s sport, Johnson added: “Lack of exposure means women miss out on brand investment and the resulting funding that would begin to fuel growth. Google believes it can help fix multiple parts of the problem.”

Looking back at this year, Johnson further highlighted the 1.64 billion views generated by the Women’s Cricket World Cup across International Cricket Council channels, the multiple milestones at UEFA Women’s Euro, as well as the impact of the Rugby World Cup and Tour de France Femmes.

With the new year approaching, Google will be looking to build on the foundations it has laid this year, with the company looking to expand and go beyond just basketball.