The Transformation of Television Sport

New Methods, New Rules

verfasst von: Mike Milne

Verlag: Palgrave Macmillan UK

Buchreihe : Palgrave Global Media Policy and Business

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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The Transformation of Television Sport: New Methods, New Rules examines how developments in technology, broadcasting rights and regulation combine to determine what sport we see on television, where we can see it and what the final output looks and sounds like.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

1. Introduction

Abstract

£5.14 billion: the value achieved in early 2015 by the Premier League as it sold domestic broadcasting rights in the UK for three years from 2016 to 2019. The Premier League is now the world’s second most lucrative sports league; the NFL, by accessing the larger US domestic market, leads the way as it generates £4.5 billion each season. Looking at the overall market in 2015, Pricewaterhouse Coopers estimates global sports business, including all revenue streams, was worth $145 billion (PwC, 2015). The value of Premier League broadcasting rights is particularly remarkable because, as recently as 1986, no one in the UK wanted to broadcast league football, not even highlights. Transformations of this scale and magnitude do not happen by accident.

Mike Milne

2. History

Abstract

A surprising omission in the political economy interpretation of television sports is a comparison of technological, economic and political developments in the US and UK between 1945 and 1995. With researchers considering a range of topics from the incursion of marketing and promotional strategies (Giulianotti, 1999, 2005), how new types of corporate integration have been adopted (Whitson, 1998; Falcous, 2005) and the extension of transnational capitalism into sports (Nauright and Schimmel, 2005) — Boyle and Haynes (2000:66) view development in the UK as reflecting ‘a mode of organisation that is more akin to the long-standing consumer-orientated configuration of sport in North America’. This is surprising because, for long periods, change was resisted in Britain, the subsequent speed at which overt commercialism and a more consumer-oriented approach was adopted is fascinating and a distinguishing feature between 1970 and 1995. In many ways the Premier League now demonstrates unprecedented levels of corporate behaviour and commodification that surpasses practice in US Major Leagues, long regarded as providing a benchmark. This chapter charts how, despite some remarkable differences, the UK has gravitated towards practices found in the US.

Mike Milne

3. Technology

Abstract

How three largely unseen upstream pre-production processes increasingly shape television sport is examined with dedicated chapters that consider technology, broadcasting rights (including the economics of sports organisations and media providers) and regulation (politics). The sheer scale of transformations since the late 1980s is illustrated, including how a significant increase in demand has been met by a combination of digital technology and new production methods.

Mike Milne

4. Sports broadcasting rights

Abstract

If Chapter 3 was concerned with fast-moving developments in technology including accelerated means of producing ever more content, then turning to a discussion of broadcasting rights means, more or less, hitting the brakes; rights are very often about what you cannot do as a broadcaster or producer.

Mike Milne

5. Regulation

Abstract

Regulation is the third pre-production factor that influences what television sport we can see, including where and when we can see it. As Evens, Iosifidis and Smith (2013) summarise, since the 1990s:

… the UK sports broadcasting market has been subject to almost constant scrutiny by a whole series of (UK and EU) policymakers and regulatory authorities. Broadly speaking, attention has focussed on two key areas: first, legislation designed to ensure that coverage of major national sporting events remains available to all television viewers listed events legislation: and secondly, the application of competition law to the sports broadcasting market in an effort to reduce the market power of the dominant pay-TV broadcaster, BSkyB. (Evens, Iosifidis and Smith, 2013:203)

Mike Milne

6. Broadcasters and media providers

Abstract

Chapters 6 and 7 zoom in to examine how the upstream processes discussed so far impact on (a) broadcasters and media providers (including who provides sports media), and (b) independent sports television production, from company-level activities to a micro-level view from the shop floor and the day-to-day work of sports producers and directors. These chapters add a further supply side perspective.

Mike Milne

7. Independent sports television production

Abstract

Subject to considerable upheaval as pre-production processes have trickled down to the supply side, the television sports production workplace can be a confusing environment. On face value it might be reasonable to assume the transformations reviewed so far could have been the foundation for a creative heyday for sports producers and directors. In some important respects a very different scenario is playing out, one that is shaped by inhibitions and restrictions. This chapter examines trends in independent production, from investment in production companies through to the rise of the production manager.

Mike Milne

8. Conclusion

Abstract

This book has argued that the transformation of television sport has been driven by a combination of interacting forces including technology, broadcasting rights (economics) and media regulation (politics). These forces mostly operate upstream and out of sight (i.e. before traditional production and distribution processes begin) and increasingly determine what sport we see where we can see and what the final output looks and sounds like.

Mike Milne

Backmatter

Titel: The Transformation of Television Sport
verfasst von: Mike Milne
Verlag: Palgrave Macmillan UK
Electronic ISBN: 978-1-137-55911-1
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-71904-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137559111