Fan Labor Shapes Visibility for Women's Sports in Networked Sports Media

This article examines how networked sports media actively facilitates a hierarchical system of visibility dependent on social media engagement and data analytics. I argue that in the case of women's sports, as well as other less prominently mediated sports, the industry logics that structure hierarchies of visibility deflect responsibility for representation away from networks, brands, and leagues and onto fans, who are left to promote women's sports through their engagement online. This strategy shields the business of sports from the risk of investing in women athletes and instead places promotional responsibility on fan labor.