New Broadcasting Guidelines Take Aim at Sexualising Camera Angles in Women’s Athletics

The European Broadcasting Union has partnered with European Athletics to introduce new broadcasting guidelines aimed at preventing the sexualization of women athletes through selective camera angles and slow-motion replays.

Broadcasters are now advised to avoid potentially “compromising” shots, as the 23-page Raising the Bar document warns against lingering body shots and low-angle cameras capturing revealing views. British Olympic pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw has said some athletes become distracted by camera positions during competitions, and she has received social media abuse and seen “inappropriate videos” of herself.

“The sexualization of women athletes through selective camera angles and editing choices continues to be a significant concern,” said Glen Killane, Executive Director of EBU Sports. The guidelines encourage broadcasters to prioritise technical ability, storytelling and athlete dignity.

The European Broadcasting Union has today published new guidelines for respectful media coverage of women’s athletics, designed to tackle the sexualization of women athletes in sports broadcasting.

Developed in collaboration with European Athletics and backed by Olympians including British pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw, Serbian long jumper Ivana Španović and Croatian high jumper Blanka Vlašić, Raising the Bar: Guidelines for respectful media coverage in women’s athletics are a direct response to ongoing concerns around the misrepresentation and objectification of women’s athletic performances on screen.

Glen Killane, Executive Director, EBU Sport said: “Women’s sport deserves to be seen, covered, and valued on equal terms and we’re committed to making that a reality across our rights portfolio with our Members and partners.”

European Broadcasting Union

It’s About Time

The new camera guidelines are long overdue. Women compete at the highest level, yet broadcasters have repeatedly framed them through unnecessary close-ups of their bodies rather than their technique, power or achievement. The issue is not what female athletes choose to wear. Their clothing does not give camera operators permission to linger on their crotches, backsides or chests. Athletes should be able to choose their kit without having that choice turned into sexualised content.

You rarely see male competitors filmed this way. Even when men wear revealing uniforms, coverage centres on their movement and performance. With women, angles too often make the body the spectacle instead of the sport. Some close shots are technically useful, particularly in pole vault and high jump, where viewers need to see whether an athlete touched the bar. But there is a clear difference between a replay that explains the result and a camera lingering where it serves no sporting purpose.

This matters because those images do not remain inside the broadcast. Channels clip, slow down and repost these images, pretending to offer sports highlights while clearly using female athletes as sexual content. The women receive none of the control or benefit.

Broadcasters already follow guidelines around injuries and athlete privacy. Asking them not to deliberately sexualise women is not censorship or prudishness. It is basic professional judgment.

Women’s sport should showcase speed, strength, skill and discipline. The fact that camera crews still need written rules to remind them of that says more about sports media than it does about athletes.