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:
“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.
We’re proud to have worked as a team to create TOGETHXR — a brand that elevates women’s voices and celebrates where sport and culture converge”
In their statement the group referenced recent studies 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.
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.