Antunovic publishes a chapter on the media visibility of women’s American football

Dunja Antunovic smiling
Dunja Antunovic, PhD

Dunja Antunovic, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and affiliated scholar with the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, is lead author on a chapter titled, “‘Getting noticed, respected, and supported’: Mediated (in)visibilities of women’s American football in the United States” published in an edited collection of The Professionalisation of Women’s Sport: Issues and Debates.

The chapter examines how the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) used the league’s digital platforms to post results, broadcast games, share news articles about the teams, promote sponsors, and advocate for gender equality. The analysis is situated in relation to the broader context of the momentum in elite-level women’s sports in the United States. During the time of analysis, the WFA secured sponsorship deals, updated digital platforms, and expanded the broadcast availability of the games. However, the chapter also notes the ways in which cultural norms and lack of resources contribute to the media invisibility of women’s American football and women’s sports in the United States broadly.

Dr. Antunovic’s chapter was also examined by a panel of the book’s editors for the book’s launch seminar. The panel gave an important overview of the central themes of the book. The edited collection, including Antunovic’s chapter, address key processes and issues related to the professionalisation of women’s sports, including media coverage (or lack of), online media labor, and precariousness of employment. 

Co-authors are Katie Taylor, PhD, Macauley Watt, and Andrew D. Linden, PhD.