Defining the Online Age of Sports
PC: Unsplash
Often we see podcasts and media coverage on broad topics, but sports have swept the media industry. Sports channels feature a variety of sports that can be streamed anywhere in real time, like ESPN and Fox Sports. Talk shows like Mad Dog Sports Radio, broadcasted on ESPN, feature regular commentators that have skyrocketed into fame, such as Stephen A. Smith.
Nearly a century ago, the sports industry had its first breakthrough with a live audience thanks to the commercial license granted to radio stations. One of the first ballgames on air made history for Guglielmo Marconi’s transmission in the 1899 America’s Cup.
In April of 1921, this continued with a live commentary of a boxing match on KDKA, a radio station in Pittsburgh, P.A, marking a pivotal moment that changed how in-game updates were broadcasted to the rest of the world. In 1911, the progression of sports media continued in local hometown games, only starting out as radio recordings.
The major league baseball games were also a major hit. Given the opportunity, many broadcasters took advantage of including pre-game analysis, post game breakdowns and interactive call-in shows for all elements of narrated storytelling.
With enough promotion of sports aside from stadium attendances, many fans could finally keep up with games without attending, a huge sigh of relief for audiences nationwide. In 1964, the first live sports talk show featured Bill Mazer on New York’s National Broadcasting Company (WNBC), eventually promoted to major U.S. markets.
Content was made available in sports commentary that involved roundtable discussions on player performances, real-time narration of the game, and opinionated insight. This allowed for many fans to feel more immersed in the game.
However, after receiving harsh criticism from sports spectators, broadcasters were confronted with issues of declining viewership and very little revenue from ticket sales. Due to the low in-person attendance, many people disregarded spectating the sport live and preferred to stay in their homes to watch baseball games.
Yet in 1971, live broadcasting events like boxing became a big contender like the “Fight of the Century” match between Joe Frazier and Muhammed Ali. This paved the way for other national championship events which promoted a huge craze for The Super Bowl, NBA Finals and the World Series.
Avid listeners had access to the growth of the digital age, paving the way for the rise of sports broadcasting. This encouragement was ideal for televising the Summer Olympics, the opportunity of a lifetime for sports television. This allowed for the convenience of replays and the increasing numbers of fans for the full viewer experience.
Eventually, at one point televisions were replaced by portable and more practical devices. In the 21st century, modern televised broadcasters are now streamed worldwide on multiple devices and social media platforms.
Sports media offers a large space for evolving broadcast games. Through their listeners and viewers, they are able to transcend the portrayal of sports play for generations to come.
