A critical look at feminism in sports TV series at the Summer School

It is important questioning dominant narratives to build a fairer and more inclusive representation

How are women really represented in sports TV series? What role does intersectionality play in televised sports fiction? And what lies beneath fake-feminism? These were some of the key questions addressed by researcher Anna Tous Rovirosa, from our institute, in her talk "Fake-feminism, homosociality & intersectionality in Sports TV Series", held on July 3rd as part of the Summer School of the PhD Program in Journalism at UAB. 

The session presented initial findings from the project Gendered Sports Fiction, which analyzes gender representation in European and American sports fiction series aired between 2018 and 2023. Through a combination of quantitative (content analysis) and qualitative (focus groups) methodologies, the research examines how gender identities are constructed, what stereotypes persist, and how diversity in terms of class, ethnicity, and sexuality is portrayed—or overlooked. 

Series analyzed include Home Ground, Les de l’hoquei, The Crew, Ted Lasso, and The Queen’s Gambit. While some shows help bring visibility to women in sports, the study highlights that most fall into what Tous calls fake-feminism: a superficial feminist discourse that lacks real narrative transformation or shifts in power dynamics. 

The research also highlights the presence of homosociality—male bonding—as a structural element of sports storytelling. This can have positive aspects (loyalty, friendship) but often reinforces toxic masculinity and misogyny. On the other hand, some series like Ted Lasso suggest the emergence of heterosociality, or more positive gender interactions, although still limited in intersectional scope. 

Intersectional analysis—focused on the interplay between gender, race, class, and sexuality—reveals the greatest shortcomings. Minorities remain underrepresented or confined to secondary roles. Examples like The Queen’s Gambit and the TV adaptation of A League of Their Own illustrate these ongoing tensions and challenges. 

Finally, audience reception studies indicate a significant gap between the values promoted by gender studies and audience perceptions, especially among male viewers. 

With this work, Anna Tous Rovirosa contributes to a critical and necessary reflection on how fictional media shape our understanding of gender in sports and society, highlighting the importance of questioning dominant narratives to build a fairer and more inclusive representation. 

The talk is part of the project Gendered Sports Fiction, “Gender equality on Sports-Themed Audiovisual Fiction. Insight on stereotypes and psychological dimensions. Women, men and LGTBIQ groups representation”, funded by UAB through the precompetitive project grant call (PPC23) and led by Anna Tous Rovirosa.