Showcasing the Athlete Body: A Qualitative Study for Understanding Consumers##x2019; Expectations about Sexualized Female Images on the Leading Media Brands

Abstract

Leading media brands present sexualized content of female athletes in order to increase their sales. Sports media decision-makers believe that sexual content can make money and meet the expectations of consumers. The main objective of the current study was to examine consumer expectations and the concerns of female athletes. The authors utilized critical feminist theory and successfully navigated how female athletics discuss sexual images. We conducted in-depth photographic interviews with sixteen student-athletes using images of sports celebrities from the ESPN Body Issue and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The results indicated that sexualized images fail to meet the expectations of female athletes and can negatively impact media consumers and younger audiences.