Seems to me a lot of $$ just got freed up - let's hope the women can get a pay bump.

It's all about supply and demand. I'd love to see female athletes get paid just as much as male athletes but the demand is just not there. If more women were interested in watching sports, specifically female sports, I'm sure their salaries would significantly increase.

As as far as male models go, they might as well fuhgeddaboudit, there's pretty much zero chance of getting enough men interested in fashion and cosmetics to justify anything more than they're currently being paid.

Yet the men are paid more.

I'd look into these:

Basically the problem is systemic. Even the coverage of women's sports is inferior. As if the coverage itself just doesn't care. So naturally the end product will be less interesting to fans.

I also personally have an issue with Women's volleyball. I don't watch it, because (my wife wouldn't ask me in the first place, but) I would be utterly self conscious trying to explain my interest in women's volleyball, given the attire. I understand some of the athletes choose to dress that way, and that's fine, but I'm like 'yeah, this is weird' watching it.

Womens and Mens soccer is basically the same, I enjoy following the USWNT because they kick ass. Which I suspect is at least partially due to under-interest/investment in women's teams worldwide, and where the USMNT can't do anything right and are severely outclassed at all times. US interest in women's soccer is enough to sustain a good team, where the rest of the world doesn't care much. US interest in men's soccer isn't enough to sustain a competitive mens team worldwide.

I enjoy women's volleyball and basketball, because the game is very different tactically.

A vicious cycle that just reinforces itself. Woman are trained not to like sports, sports of special interest to women get shitty coverage, their ratings are low, broadcasters decide they aren't worth it and keep the coverage bad, women decide they really don't like sports, even sports of particular interest to women,,, and on and on.

and talented women from around the world want to come to the US to play professionally

to the IMPORTANT members of society. Golf ladies get no respect, either.

men still don't get that women are great athletes. And the John McConroe's of the world constantly slamming female athletes DURING female tennis matches is unconscionable. He needs to be fired for this shit.