New European Broadcasting Standards Spark Discussions

Published: Wednesday, July 15, 2026

by Madeline Fournier

On June 8th, the European Broadcasting Union released a 23-page document outlining the best ways to respectfully cover an athlete during a broadcast. Although this was released over a month ago, it has recently sparked backlash online due to the protective nature towards women that the document possesses. The document was written by Elsa Arapi, Clair Goodwin, Hannah England, and Christel Saneh from the EBU, with input from athletes like Holly Bradshaw, Ivana Španović, and Blanka Vlašić. These guidelines were created to help prevent some of the compromising camera angles and slow-motion replays that can often be seen in women’s sports broadcasting, specifically focusing on track and field. 

 This document contains cartoon drawings of appropriate and inappropriate camera angles that can be used in sports such as high jump, pole vault, horizontal jumps, and running events. There are multiple pages focused on each sport with multiple drawings of “positive” and “negative” camera angles, including commentary from the athletes who worked on the guidelines with the EBU about the different ways that camera angles and slow-motion replays can benefit a broadcast and showcase the technical skill and strength that come with each event. Some “negative” camera angles described in the guidelines are those that film from below a jumping athlete or on the backside of an athlete instead of using “positive” angles like those from the side or aerial shots of an athlete performing an event. Athletes like Holly Bradshaw say in the document that she has seen "inappropriate videos online of [herself] and colleagues when slow-motion content of us competing is captured."

 This seems perfectly normal, and even like a step in the right direction. However, these new guidelines have recently gained traction online and are causing some backlash. These guidelines were created to help reduce the sexualization that female athletes receive online and sometimes in the broadcasts themselves. However, some people online are bashing the new guidelines, saying that viewership would decline without the inappropriate camera angles, or they blame the issue on the women’s uniforms. 

 Despite the backlash over the new guidelines, they stand to benefit female athletes beyond just those being broadcast by the EBU for track and field. Since guidelines like these are being implemented by a group that is so influential in the broadcasting world, they stand to impact other broadcasting groups across the world. If the guidelines prove to be positive, they could become standard in other countries beyond Europe and could impact the broadcasting for events like the Olympics. Changes in the way that women’s sports are broadcast could change the way that female athletes are perceived by the general public and help lead women’s sports closer to equality to their male counterparts. 

 

For more information reach out to Madeline Fournier at madeline.fournier@student.shu.edu 

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