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The first digital platform for Black women in sports media

The first digital platform for Black women in sports media

At The Black Sportswoman, we highlight (or we will again soon), the Black women athletes in sports history, who are often overlooked despite their contributions.

A friend and colleague of mine, Erica L. Ayala, has created a platform that will highlight the creators who are often overlooked in sports media. You've seen it happen often: ideas stolen, credibility questioned, contributions dismissed.

But Ayala has launched #BlackRosie, "a new digital platform that will highlight and elevate Black women and melanated creators in sports media launched: #BlackRosieMedia. #BlackRosieMedia will feature original and syndicated content from Black and melanated women across all sports."

Visit the website here!!

The rest of this article is a press release, but honestly I couldn't say it better. I am an advisor on this project, so I feel that I should disclose that, but even if I wasn't – I'd be just as excited.

Read more to find out about #BlackRosie Media!


More about the founder: Erica L. Ayala is a seasoned sports media journalist who, along with pioneering Black women in sports, is answering the market demand for more Black and melanated creators voices, commentary, and perspectives on sports.

#BlackRosie Media will host podcasts, video series, blog posts, and social media content that brings the unique and in-demand voices of Black women or BIPOC creators in the sports media industry to the forefront, while ensuring equitable compensation for their work.

“Whether I am covering hockey, women’s basketball or the 2022 Winter Olympics, my career has shown that audiences want to hear from me and other Black creators like me,” said Ayala. “Yet, too often Black woman journalists are not part of sports media.” A 2021 study by The Institute for Diversity & Ethics in Sports revealed 77.1% of North American sports columnists are white, and 82.2% are men. The same TIDES report ranked the mainstream sports media industry with a B+ in racial hiring and an F in gender hiring.

This data indicates that as hiring is diversified, women are not benefitting.  “Since I entered the sports media space in 2016, it has been clear that opportunities are lacking for Black journalists and creators. From the inability to get credentials to cover live events to a lack of resources for our independent ventures, there are a lot of challenges that come with the job,” said Erica L. Ayala.

Women around the world consider themselves monthly sports viewers and according to the 2021 Global Sports Survey, nearly 50 percent of women in the UK, US, and Germany are monthly sports viewers. The number is nearly 70 percent in Latin America and Asia.,  In the United States, Black spending power is estimated to be a $300 billion opportunity. This market, too long overlooked by traditional media and industries, is beginning to garner notice and returns. #BlackRosie Media will be a home for Black women creators and Black fans who don’t see themselves represented elsewhere.

“#BlackRosie presents an opportunity that has been missing for so long to give credit to the Black women and melanated faces in these spaces that don’t often get the notice they deserve,” said Candace Cooper, Lead Producer at Under Armour and #BlackRosie advisory board member. “We need a platform like this to allow us to tell more stories, and I am so excited to see #BlackRosie come to life.”

In addition to Cooper, #BlackRosie’s advisors include:

More advisors will be announced in the coming weeks.

#BlackRosieMedia will host conferences that can help educate and connect employers and decision-makers with Black women in the sports media space, as well as events to celebrate the work of these creators.  #BlackRosieMedia will provide mentorship programs, membership networks, accelerators, scholarships for the next generation of Black sports media personalities.

“Black women and creators of color deserve this. Erica L. Ayala has the vision to create this space for us. It's beyond a ‘see them, be them’ situation, but it's ‘I see you. I feel you. You belong here.’ And it's so necessary,” said Ari Chambers, founder of HighlightHER and the recipient of the 2022 Dawn Staley Excellence in Broadcasting Award.

“This has been a long time coming, but simultaneously, right on time. It's time to make sure we feel safe in spaces we have pioneered but been overlooked. #BlackRosie is destined for greatness because being a melanated creator is greatness in itself,” said Chambers.

About BlackRosie:
#BlackRosie Media is a community for Black women and melanated creators in sports media. We are committed to showing up as advocates for the visibility of Black women and creators of color through original content, events, partnerships, and more. Our goal is to create a space online where Black women and other BIPOC creators are celebrated, appreciated, and equitably compensated for their work.

Not only is #BlackRosie Media a community for Black women and melanated creators, but it's also a standalone media conglomerate giving these creators a platform for their work. We are a space for news, game coverage, and creative sports content.

To learn more, visit