This article was written by Jason Mazzocchi, Head of Media at Acland Burghley School, London and first appeared in MediaMagazine 18.
The article discusses several arguments such as how the relationship between sport and British media operates, how sport and TV schedules correspond to each other and ultimately what the relationship between media and sports means for fans/audiences.
A case put forwards as to why sport is now a "multi-milion pound industry with an intimate relationship with the British media" is the increasing supply and demand correspondence between the sporting industry and it's fans. The argued medium that can satisfy this relationship is the media.
These official statistics are a reinforcement of the latter, as it portrays that during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, TV and media broadcasting incorporated more income than any other department of income.
Mazzocchi then proceeds to explain how such a relationship between sports media and it's audience has become so intimate, heralding the medias use of hyperextending the point that "the pleasure of the sport event itself is a ritual", and that there is now a developed tradition of pre-match anticipation; as exemplified in the like of Sky Sports "Monday Night Football", where analysis of the upcoming event can provoke audiences needs, encouraging social interaction of which modern media is so heavily dependant on due to the rapid expansion of social media.
This extract of the aforementioned "Monday Night Football" presents this extension of the "ritual of sports", with the use of elite persons also being a reason of uses and gratifications for the audience of sporting media.
Finally, Mazzocchi ends on the sour note that consequently, the media exposure of sport has led to a "privatisation of sport".
With most probably the most high key example of this is since the introduction of Sky Sports and the Premier League in 1991, all preexisting accomplishment and sentiment seems to have been sucked out of the sport of football, replacing the working mans game with the corporate playground. Leaving genuine sports fans to ponder if the PPV events, which are expanding, for example with boxing, will effect their sport.
