“It Just Makes Good Business Sense”: A Media Political Economy Analysis of espnW

The first business subsidiary of espn, Inc. marketed specifically to female athletes and fans is espnW, asserting its mission is “to serve women as fans and athletes. espnW.com provides an engaging environment that offers total access to female athletes and the sports they play, takes fans inside the biggest events, and shares a unique point of view on the sports stories that matter most to women” (espnW, n.d.a, espnW …). Political economy analysis reveals that espnW is a manifestation of espn, Inc.’s spurious interest in women’s sports as a means to garner profit. Being part of the Disney Corporation sets up espnW as a revenue generator for its parent company. Participants in espnW’s planning retreats and the two women at the helm of espnW further reinforce that espn, Inc. is using espnW for profit, not for promoting women’s sports. Additionally, creating a website dedicated to anything related to women, with espn, Inc.’s history of discrimination, exploits women. Lastly, presenting espnW as a separate site for female fans yields women less respect as sports fans.