THE FUTURE OF SPORT COMMUNICATION

When I envision the future of sports communication I think about the advancement in technology that has broadened the spectrum of sports and athletes.  Our study throughout this course has taken us through the evolution of sport communication that has been through many changes during the years. This includes a radio broadcast, to newspaper articles, to the mass media, the internet and social media. Sport communication is the engine that reaches out to sport fans and its audience in the sports industry. We have seen that without sport communication, the many facets of covering sports scores, news updates, and issues within the industry would not be communicated in a timely manner.

The modes of sport communication are now more instant than others, for example the newspaper and magazines are a way to communicate to their fans, but it takes several hours or days after the event has transpired. The more immediate form of communication is the internet or electronic media, which in today’s era is where people have the ability to obtain sports information they are looking for virtually by a click of a mouse, smart phones or tablets. As Rein, Kotler and Shields states, “The best example of a current winner is ESPN (Entertainment and Sports Programming Network), the synergistic sports-media brand that communicates with its fans through every distribution channel imaginable”. They are the source of information accessed through various websites, networks, channels and satellite subscriptions. They market themselves for all types of ages, ethnic groups and demographically because the information is updated by the minute that gives sports fans information what they desire. Although, ESPN is at the top of the sports communication spectrum, they will need to keep thinking ahead of where technology is leading us to the future.

In the sports industry, sport communication plays a vital role and as the advancements of technology is among us the mass media is only going to get bigger moving forward to the future? The communication of sports has the most powerful influences on society and the lives we live. My belief of the evolution of sport communication with technology is that you will not have to attend a sporting event in person. There is going to be a venue in place of being able to attend it from the luxury of your house as if you were really there.

Rein, I., Kotler, P., & Shields, B. (2007). The Future of Sports Media. What do the fans want? Sports teams, leagues, and marketing professional are turning to a growing array of media to capture the elusive customer. The Futurist, 41(1), 40-43. Retrieved from http://www.theelusivefan.com/Fut.pdf