US2 min(s) read
Published 14:42 15 Jul 2026 GMT
Last month, the European Broadcasting Union released new guidelines banning sports photographers and videographers from taking footage of female athletes that could appear “sexualized”.
Since the new rules were released, the backlash waged against them on social media has stunned the sporting world.
The paper titled: "Raising the Bar: Guidelines for respectful media coverage in women's athletics", includes detailed illustrations on what shots are acceptable and which could be considered inappropriate.
It also stated: "This is not a list of restrictions. Across high jump, pole vault, horizontal jumps and running events, the report demonstrates how the most compromising shots can be avoided with no loss of storytelling or visual quality."
Sadly unsurprisingly, the guidelines sparked a tense discussion and became the subject of thousands of crude jokes about women's sport.
One misogynistic X user said: “You basically killed any interest in female sports.”
Another chimed in with a similar sentiment, writing: “Volleyball viewership is gonna go down by 90%.”
A third made a suggestion that incorrectly shifted the blame from men to the women themselves, saying: “Or just have women wear some clothes when they compete, is it really necessary for women to constantly just wear underwear when playing sport?”
In response, another commenter pointed out how deep-rooted the casual sexism within women’s sports is, noting: “Actually, without exception, the sports governing bodies REQUIRE women to wear those skimpy outfits.”
Published by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in collaboration with European Athletics and prominent female athletes, "Raising the Bar" is a set of guidelines designed to combat the sexualization and objectification of women in sports media.
The 23-page document provides practical visual examples for camera operators and directors to avoid compromising, low-angle, or unnecessary slow-motion shots that divert focus from the athletes' athletic abilities.
Ultimately, these regulations have established a respectful broadcasting standard that prioritizes the technical skill and strength of female competitors, rather than their objectifying physical attributes.
Within the industry, an important discussion around the issue of “sexualized” shots of female athletes surfaced during the 2024 Paris Olympics when the CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services, Yiannis Exarchos, ordered camera operators to film both male and female athletes the same way to avoid "stereotypes and sexism".
