Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders' 400% raise is a reminder of how little female athletes get paid

Natalie Stechyson · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 19, 2025 2:23 PM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

If you're among the millions who person been riveted by America's Sweethearts, Netflix's docuseries astir the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, past you already cognize that the 36 women who marque the squad are thing little than pro athletes.

Most travel from studio-trained creation backgrounds. They endure gruelling grooming programs and have to conscionable aggravated physical demands — their trademark kick-line and jump-split determination is truthful punishing that immoderate of them person torn their hips to the constituent of needing surgery.

From July to the extremity of the Cowboys season, they rehearse 3 to 4 times per week for 2 to 3 hours astatine a time, and execute astatine each location games. Practices unsocial tin be a 40-hour-per week commitment, notes People magazine, and that doesn't see their promotional appearances.

And for each this, until recently, they were reportedly not paid capable to enactment themselves. As the cheerleaders connected the amusement themselves person pointed out, galore of them enactment 2nd oregon adjacent 3rd jobs.

Now, the 2nd play of America's Sweethearts has dropped, alongside a important announcement: a 400 per cent wage increase.

"Our efforts were heard and they wanted to springiness america a raise," four-year seasoned Megan McElaney said connected the show, calling the summation "life-changing."

The amusement didn't disclose what the cheerleaders had earned earlier the wage raise, oregon what their compensation would look similar aft it. But erstwhile cheerleader Jada McLean told the New York Times Wednesday she utilized to marque $15 US per hr arsenic a five-year veteran connected the squad, and with the wage bump, it could beryllium much similar $75 US per hour.

While galore person been shocked to larn however little NFL cheerleaders are paid, it fits into the wide communicative of the sex pay gap successful women's sport, said Cheri Bradish, the manager of the Future of Sport Lab astatine Toronto Metropolitan University.

"There are inequities for women successful athletics successful each kinds of roles, not conscionable cheerleading," Bradish told CBC News.

"Their travel is precise akin to what we person seen with different leagues and teams who are struggling to get the respect of having broader and much respected wage successful general." 

'A unpaid position'

Being a cheerleader is simply a important committedness that demands a precocious level of athleticism, dedication and professionalism, said Raeanne Milovanovic, co-founder and vice-president of the Canadian Football Cheerleaders Alumni Organization.

Compensation varies by squad and has "historically been a topic of discussion," Milovanovic said. Stipends typically don't enactment retired to minimum wage, she said, but determination are different perks and promotional opportunities — and for many, it's much astir the experience.

"For many, it's a unpaid position," she said.

CFL cheerleaders typically don't person a regular fixed wage, but alternatively person per-game payments of astir $50 US to $100 US per game, according to the CFL News Hub.

Salary discrepancies are gaining much attraction arsenic pistillate athletics experiences a monolithic emergence successful popularity.

Superstars similar the WNBA's Caitlin Clark, U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, rugby subordinate Ilona Maher, and Canadian record-smashing swimmer Summer McIntosh have helped pull much eyeballs connected events, arsenic has the emergence of caller pistillate nonrecreational hockey and shot leagues.

Paycheques, however, person not kept pace.

Paige Bueckers, for instance, the WNBA's No. 1 draught pick, is projected to gain conscionable $78,831 US for her rookie twelvemonth — astir $109,480 Cdn, or less than the existent median household income successful the States. Players successful the Professional Women's Hockey League can gain arsenic small arsenic $35,000 US per year.

In March, a FIFA study connected women's soccer found that the mean wage for top-tier teams was $24,030 US globally, little than a surviving wage successful galore places. And contempt 2024 seeing a surge of viral pistillate athletes, not 1 pistillate made the apical 100 database of highest-paid athletes worldwide past year.

WATCH | The PWHL connected its latest expansion: 

The conflict for pay

The Dallas cheerleaders person been pushing for wage increases for years, portion of an wide NFL cheerleader conflict for minimum wage. In 2017, a national justice tossed retired a lawsuit accusing the NFL and squad owners of conspiring to suppress wages for cheerleaders.

In 2019, the Cowboys settled a suit with a erstwhile cheerleader that led to the squad doubling the per-game pay, from $200 US to $400 US. The latest rise is 4 times that.

"'Happy' isn't adjacent the close connection for it," erstwhile cheerleader Jada McLean said connected the show. "I deliberation I was conscionable ... benignant of felt, like, a relief, similar everything had paid off. And it was, you know, finally, we were done fighting."

Robyn Pineault, 42, cheered for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto Argonauts successful the aboriginal 2000s. On apical of practices and nationalist appearances, Pineault says she would creation the full crippled connected the sidelines, positive the halftime shows and shows betwixt each quarter, all of which was physically demanding and clip consuming.

Pineault, who present lives successful Ottawa, says she's arrogant of the Dallas cheerleaders for pushing for a wage raise.

"They person the epitome of marque consciousness successful the industry. Every azygous cheerleader looks up to the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders," she said.

"So to spot them get a wage summation and really beryllium paid what they are worth, not conscionable beryllium fixed the accidental to creation and person that vocation but besides get just pay, is simply a truly large communicative for dancers everywhere."