Rob Walker MBE: How sports broadcasting is “redressing the balance”
“I said to my mum and dad, ‘one day I’m going to run the 1500 meters for Great Britain or I’m going to be the man in the stadium talking about it.’”
Rob Walker always knew, from the age of nine, he’d be in sport. Now he’s an athletics commentator, snooker host and international broadcaster. We’re sat on a video call. I’m in my small London flat, he’s in Hong Kong, as we put the world to rights during his break whilst covering the Snooker World Grand Prix 2025.
The excitement in his eyes is evident. This is a man who loves sport, and loves his job, telling me about his jam-packed schedule. Hong Kong for the snooker, Chelmsford for the races, then Nanjing for the World Indoor Athletics Championships.
From the track to the TV
After speaking through his career path, from ITV regional news, to ultimately going freelance after producing for the BBC, it emerged that it’s becoming increasingly hard to make these final moves without some form of global accolade.
“I kind of figured if I don’t get in the face of all the key decision makers, I’ve got no chance because I haven’t got a gold medal,” Walker says. “I’m a not former athlete. I haven’t got contacts.”
In many sports, it’s becoming commonplace for ex-professional or injured athletes to work as commentators or pundits. It’s no wonder broadcasters often opt for this option, it appeals to fans and can add authenticity when covering major competitions. But it is a good thing?
Walker commentates the English Schools Track & Field Athletics. Photo by @AC_Photos.
“You have two different types of commentary, haven’t you?” Walker explains. “Those people are tailor made for a co-commentator or a pundit role, but some of them some of them are desperate to be a lead commentator.
“But you don’t just walk out of the field and suddenly find it natural. It takes time.
“What I would say is that the opportunities, and this is not to put people off, but the opportunities for traditional broadcasters who do not come with a vest, or an Olympic medal, are diminishing.
“You cannot deny that.
“If my son turned to me and said, ‘I’m desperate to be an Olympic broadcaster’ a little bit of my heart would sink. Because I know just how difficult that is going to be for him if it turns out he’s a non-Olympian or international athlete.
“Is it right? Is it wrong? I don’t know, it’s not for me to say but that’s what it is.
“So, if somebody is a traditional broadcaster, or they want to be, and they’re not able to say they were a former athlete, the reality is they’ve got to be better than the former athlete who applies for that role.”
The discussion turns to football coverage. It’s a sport whose business model has undeniable success but rarely sees its former stars take to lead commentary; instead, they tend to move more towards analysis and punditry.
“You would never get a former football player becoming a lead commentator,” Walker debates. “They would they do brilliant work as a pundit or a presenter like Gary Lineker or a co-commentator, but football still likes the tradition of a broadcaster.”
Some spectators love listening to former players and fan favourites provide their insights, although with broadcasting skills often being a second priority to their athletic success, coverage can sometimes lose quality. If a sport as popular as football decides to stick with traditional broadcasters, should other sports consider doing the same?
Addressing the imbalance
It’s no secret that sports journalism is a male-dominated world, and that females working in the industry have had to work exceptionally hard to get their voices heard.
But does the tide seem to be turning? The industry, now more than ever, is aware of its previous imbalances and seems to be working to rectifying biases.
“Again, it’s not for me to say whether this is right or wrong, but I have worked in television for 26 years.”
Walker continues: “If you have a male applying for a role and a female applying for a role, if they are both of exactly the same profile and exactly the same ability, the female will get the role the male will not. It’s already changed.
“The reality is if you are a male broadcaster, it is going to be harder to get gigs than if you are a female broadcaster.
“That’s what our industry is like because they’re understandably trying to redress a balance, so that means they are going to be looking more favourably on making sure that they are gender diverse.
“That means they’ve got to hire more women than men.”
The dangers of social media
Today, being a broadcaster means your face or voice is likely to pop up on various short form videos floating around different platforms. Social media can be an incredibly powerful tool, and one which our industry promotes, but it has its drawbacks.
We’ve all seen the videos of inside the commentary box, or clips of punditry that go viral after a controversial call. These can ignite conversations, leaving broadcasters exposed to significant amounts of hate, especially if spectators deem them ‘not good enough’ to be covering that sport.
Seeing comments stating that ‘women shouldn’t cover men’s sports’ or that pundits ‘don’t know what they’re talking about’ is all but inevitable.
Unfortunately, there is no way to stop it, with social media known for its vicious comments from people hidden behind a screen.
Walker, who refrains from social media, believes: “If it’s perceived that someone is given a role that they’re not good enough for, if they get slammed on social media.
“They either need to have a very, very thick skin or they don’t read it.
“In our industry, if you’re big enough and brave enough to put yourself on TV, you’ve got to accept that, with praise, is going to come vile online criticism as part of the job.”
How sports broadcasting has evolved
I found our discussion enlightening, and it gave me a lot to reflect on. Despite the reliable stories from women within the industry who have explicitly said they still find the need to shout twice as loudly as any man to make progress when in the sector, I was left wondering if female broadcasters are beginning to find their way in the door a little easier?
From my perspective, the industry is making strides towards the gender equal ideal, but isn’t there yet. This change for young female broadcasters is significant. It could potentially stand them in better stead when trying to beat the rising tide of ex-professional athletes to a job, as employers try to right their previous wrongs.
