The Fourth & Final Edition of The Title IX Content Creator Series is Here.

Nov 24

When talking about how her sports media content platform She Talks Ball began, Radha Gupta said, “what got me started is that there is not nearly enough content surrounding women’s sports. I found myself wondering why it’s so hard to get news articles and updates on women’s matches. And there’s no analysis, no tactical breakdowns, nothing.” Recognizing this void in India during the pandemic because she was watching more sports than ever in order to keep herself busy, Radha set up her laptop in her college dorm and got to work, seeking to make the changes that she was craving herself. Radha then started creating a wide range of content - analysis, tactical breakdowns, interviews, highlight videos, articles, photography - that is centered around European football and cricket, which are the most popular sports in India. That initiative, and the incredible progress she’s made in just under a year, is the reason why Radha is receiving one of Sports Innovation Lab’s Title IX Grants. These grants seek to aid content creation and business development as well as to motivate, support, and fuel young professionals that are trailblazers in the women’s sports industry.

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When we were chatting with Radha in our interview, it was immediately noticeable how well spoken, passionate, and wise beyond her years she is. Radha said She Talks Ball was founded in her beliefs in what she calls “the 3 Cs”: content, coverage, and conversation. “They’re easy steps that anyone can do if they want to. You don’t need much money or established authority to start. I want people to know that they can do it too.”

Radha frequently addressed her belief that anyone can do the things that she’s doing, encouraging others to follow in her footsteps. “All it takes is one tweet or one post during a match. Even if two people see it and engage, it will inevitably start a ripple effect,” Radha said. “The reception of She Talks Ball has been really special. It spread very quickly - not only in my country, but across the globe.”

“It started off with a simple Instagram handle. I think a lot of things start with a simple Instagram handle,” Radha said, encouraging fans to engage. Now She Talks Ball has extended far beyond “a simple Instagram handle,” with content spanning across YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and several consistent collaborator-partnerships. “For a large part of the world, they [women’s sports] don’t come on our TV. I’m finding VPNs and streams on random websites. And that’s why women’s sports fans are so incredibly dedicated; loyalty is built from a lack of accessibility.” Given Sports Innovation Lab’s findings in The Fan Project, Radha couldn’t be more correct in her beliefs surrounding loyalty. She recognizes this and uses it to help people like her have an easy space to congregate and discuss their passion for sports. “We are starting to have watch parties for She Talks Ball in our common space at college. And sometimes if I can’t watch an important match, I have my friends take notes for me. Sports can really bring people together.”

When asked what changes she wishes to see in the industry, Radha paused and simply said, “The language. For instance, it is common for men's teams to have social media handles that are simply the team name, and women are like an afterthought. In the case of the football club Chelsea, the men’s team’s social media handles are labeled ChelseaFC and the women’s team is labeled ChelseaFCW. This in and of itself is conditioning the fans that the men’s team is more important. I think as soon as the language is changed, mindsets will change.”

Between both Radha and the other amazing content creators that received one of Sports Innovation Lab’s Title IX Grants, there was a common thread: they didn’t have exposure to female athletes when they were young, and they are on a mission to increase that exposure for the next little girl out there. After talking with Radha, I know that the future is bright. She and so many others are out in the world creating change in the industry, and as Radha said, “you can too.”

Now get to it.