Recognizing their roles as ambassadors of the game of hockey and female role models in sport, 200 brave athletes from the now defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) selflessly put their own careers on pause on Thursday, endeavouring to “create a sustainable professional league for women’s hockey.”

Those familiar with the facts recognized the statement as a bold, progressive move. Others rolled their eyes and doubled down on their stereotypical beliefs that there is no market for women’s sport.

Dr. David Berri, sports economist and professor of economics at Southern Utah University, likened women’s professional sport leagues to an apple orchard. He noted the absurdity of expecting a profit after the first growing season and pointed out that a return on investment could not be reasonably expected until the orchard was allowed time to mature.

Lest we forget the origins of men’s professional leagues. They too experienced growing pains.

Billions of dollars in public subsidies have been used to foster their growth and they’ve been afforded tremendous amounts of free media coverage. Fandom does not happen in isolation. It takes consistent investment and long-term commitment.

The CWHL was provided neither of these luxuries, despite being home to countless Olympians, undoubtedly inspiring the sport participation of innumerable girls, and providing a generation with strong, successful female role models to look up to. The league accomplished these feats despite any major financial investments and primarily self-generated media communications.

Over the course of the 2018-19 hockey season, just four women’s professional hockey games were broadcast on television. Sportsnet aired 300 NHL games and TSN 191 games during the same timeframe. The day the CWHL announced its termination, news mentions around women’s hockey increased 14,000 per cent. Coverage immediately reverted to being scant and painfully uninquisitive — out of sight, out of mind.

Nielsen reported that 84 per cent of sports fans are interested in women’s sport. Research from the U.K. suggests 71 per cent of adults support showing more women’s sport on TV because they “have a positive effect on girls and women taking part in sport.”

Equitable coverage does not take away from men’s sport, it simply provides opportunity to be aware of the full scope of athletic accomplishments. Our appetite for sport is not a limited resource.

The Government of Canada announced its intention to achieve gender equity in sport across all levels by 2035. Instead of writing off the CWHL as a failure, let’s learn from its story. It’s time to demand that more than 2 per cent of sport media coverage be dedicated to women.

Let’s take the lead from big brands like Adidas and Bauer, which are putting legitimate resources into women’s hockey and work to develop innovative business models that encourage its success.

Let’s make a true investment in our collective future by crafting a culture that not only supports women’s hockey, but celebrates and values its contributions. We have the opportunity to be a leader in this broader movement.

Consider this the call to action.

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