Led by stars like Taylor Swift and Caitlin Clark, women continue to break boundaries (and records) in entertainment

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It's a woman's world.

The most notable musicians of the era were Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. The highest-grossing film in recent memory is Greta Gerwigs Barbie. And the most watched basketball star is Caitlin Clark.

Entertainment created and targeted by women is not just about having a time. It proves that it's here to stay, with unique talents across various facets of media redefining outdated narratives that once relegated female-focused entertainment to second-class status.

Look no further than the music industry. Swift and Beyoncé, who have already dominated 2023, are expected to own 2024. Beyoncé's debut country album, Cowboy Carter,at the top of the Billboard chartswith nearly half a million copies sold in its first week. This success made her the first black woman to claim the top spot on Billboard's Top Country Albums list.

Meanwhile, Swift is set to release her highly anticipated album, The Tortured Poets Department, on Friday. The buzz around this work, his 11th album, couldn't be greater.iHeartRadiobossTom PolemanI went so far as to say itCNN's Alli Rosenbloom, this is probably the most anticipated album I've ever seen in my career.

“It’s not just a music event, it’s a pop culture event that I think everyone in America will be talking about and celebrating together,” Poleman said.

And of course, women aren't the only ones leading the way in music.

Over the past two weeks, Clark has drawn a tremendous amount of attention to the women's NCAA tournament, which has postedstaggering audience figures, breaking records before the championship game. This game, in which Clarks Hawkeyes faced the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks, averaged 18.9 million viewers, not only outperforming the men's championship for the first time, but also becoming the most watched basketball game from every league, including the NBA, since 2019. Then, this week, the WNBA Draftaudience records brokenattracting an average of 2.5 million viewers.

It goes without saying that the incredible talent that each artist, performer and athlete brings to the table is responsible for generating enormous public interest. But these different exploits also highlight a notable cultural change. A portion of the public no longer views female-led entertainment as niche. It is now, in many ways,moremore popular than the entertainment of their male counterparts.

This strong gravitational pull towards female-focused entertainment reflects a new normal. While men have long controlled Hollywood and sports, society has progressed well beyond that time, with women becoming more famous and acclaimed. Audiences now expect their artists to reflect the diversity that exists in communities across the country and around the world.

There is also a cross-pollination effect. The impact of a once-in-a-generation star like Swift will surely spark interest from other female-led artists, creating even greater appetite and opportunities. These economic and audience successes should also encourage media managers to invest more in this sector.

Unfortunately, not all aspects of society have yet caught up with the changing cultural dynamic. Yes, Swift and Beyoncé are making money from their music. But the same cannot be said for other aspects of entertainment.

Women's sports are often difficult or rare to find given the massive visibility and glitz of men's athletics in mainstream media. The Wall Street Journal noted that although the women's NCAA tournament outperformed the men's, the latter wasmuch more lucrative, raking in $873 million for television rights, compared to $6.5 million for women. Much of this gap is due to the significantly lower cost that media outlets paid for broadcast rights.

Meanwhile, while Barbie was widely celebrated for her cultural commentary (and had huge box office success), Gerwigwas snubbedby the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which didn't even nominate her for best director. (Barbie was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, which shares the same parent company as CNN.)

And Clark, the WNBA's No. 1 overall draft pick,signed a four-year contractwith the Indiana Fever for just $338,000. Compare that to the NBA's first overall pick, Victor Wembanyama, who signed a $55 million contract with the San Antonio Spurs.

There's just something about this that's so disturbing, Today co-host Hoda Kotbs said on the show Tuesday.

I mean, I imagine all the little girls with signs that say: Caitlin! but that’s what his contract is worth? she added.

Society is progressing. But there is still a long way to go.

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