TED Talks Daily The flourishing future of women's sports | Kate Johnson
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Oct 13, 2025 Olympic medalist Kate Johnson, a world champion rower and global marketing lead for sports at Google, dives into the rising popularity of women's sports. She discusses how social media algorithms prioritize men's sports and the challenges of discoverability. Johnson highlights the impact of visibility on girls' sports participation and future leadership. She shares insights on how AI and new media can amplify women's sports coverage and urges fans to actively support female athletes to create lasting change.
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Olympic Win Before Social Media
- Kate Johnson recounts competing at the 2004 Athens Olympics without modern social media to share her win.
- She describes waiting on broadcasters to tell her story instead of instantly reaching fans herself.
Discoverability Drives Fan Growth
- Johnson defines discoverability as the chance to 'stumble upon' sports content in social feeds.
- She argues algorithms shape who new fans find and keep, not just what users search for.
Algorithms Reflect Historical Bias
- Algorithms recommend from historical content, which overwhelmingly favored men's sports.
- Johnson cites a 19-to-1 ratio of men's to women's sports stories on the shelves algorithms index.