Investing in women's sports is a good way to make money.
Since its launch last October, The Mettleset has pioneered coverage of niche sports that are underrepresented in mainstream media.
Dawn Barnable, an ultra-distance cyclist, and Afshan Ahmed, an endurance athlete, founded thePodcast and multimedia platform to strengthen media coverage of sports women.
Barnable, who is also the founder of a communications company that caters to sports brands, was having difficulty pitching stories of female sportswomen to mainstream media.
There wasn't any interest in women's sports.
She realized that women's sports don't get a lot of attention on TV. She said that the majority of coverage is on men's sports.
This is a global issue.
Over the course of 30 years, 80 percent of sports television didn't show any segments on female athletes.
Women's sports coverage has been low in the past. Most of the sports coverage on TV was focused on men. The results were the same on both social media and online sports coverage.
Most people don't engage with women's sport because of its low profile.
Forty percent of people said that there is less media coverage of women's sport.
Barnable said that he saw an opportunity for sports media to cover different kinds of athletes and stories.
She started training to become an ultra-distance cyclist.
The other side of sports was just how passionate the community was.
Barnable saw an opportunity to create a platform that would share female athletes' stories or under reported sports stories after working in sports media.
Record-breaking athletes, sports researchers, medical experts and community sports leaders are some of the guests featured on the Mettleset.
The previous guests have included Dina Al-Tayeb, the first Arab and Saudi triathlon winner, and Linda Krockenberger, the first female from the United States.
The show gives a different perspective to sports coverage in the region.
We want to capture not only elite athletes who make headlines but also the real stories of community athletes who have pushed through some very difficult and challenging circumstances to play sports.
Interviews include origin stories, soundbites and race reports. The variety has helped raise the quality and quantity of coverage in the region.
The show is ranked high on Apple Podcasts. It's number one in the wilderness category in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other countries.
Saudi Arabia and the UK have the highest number of people listening to the podcast.
It's amazing to have a platform that highlights and celebrates stories that aren't told.
Athletes trust us with their stories. It is great to see how the athletes are supported by their fans.
There is a demand for this type of content. According to Barnable, people are interested in hearing sportswomen's stories.
The relatability of the platform has been the biggest learning point for the man. Helping take away the intimidation associated with sports is my proudest achievement. It shows that it is doable for everyone.
The duo behind "The Mettleset" began training for professional sports at a later stage in life, and have found that this adds a unique element to their platform.
Barnable said that they want to amplify the voice of underrepresented athletes and allow them to share their story in their own voice.
It shouldn't be unusual to see sports women in the sports section of a newspaper or website.
Governments have invested in sports. There is still a lot of work to be done in the private sector.
She said that attention and investment is the key to success. Athletes' visibility is often tied into funding and sponsorship. Many athletes cite difficulties in securing sponsorship.
She said there is a huge opportunity for brands to partner with women's sports teams, individual athletes and stakeholders in women's sport.
The return on investment in women's sports is huge because it's only going to grow and we're seeing it grow at such a fast pace.
It is good business to invest in women's sports.
"The Mettleset" can be found on all major platforms.
