SummaryThe media and professional sports have always had a close connection, with the explosion in growth of the sports industry over the past few decades largely thanks to the increasing availability of sports media. Newspapers, radio, television and the internet have each had a large impact on how sports are portrayed and the numbers of fans who can enjoy live sport. While the sports industry has changed a lot over the years, the media remains as important as ever when it comes to bringing in new fans and reaching existing ones. Sports media really started to take off in the beginning of the industrial age as printing techniques were refined, allowing for cheaper and more accessible newspapers. Sports fans could finally follow the news of their favourite teams even if they missed the game and it wasnt long before the telegraph and then the radio allowed for fans to experience live games through a broadcast. With the TV, broadcasting became even more popular and help to bring visceral live sports to more people than ever. Sports broadcasting makes up a significant part of the sports media industry and has a large impact on how sports are portrayed and viewed by fans. The purpose of sports media is to bring sports to a wider audience and help drive engagement with sports. Live sports broadcasts are the most popular type of sports media, but fans also consume sports journalism, highlights, documentaries and social media content relating to their favourite teams, competitions and athletes. These all help fans to understand more about the sport and stay up to date with all of the news and latest information. Journalism is the practice of reporting on the facts of a situation as it occurs, bringing to light issues that the public should be aware of. Journalism depends on trust between the journalists and the public and as a result, its important that journalists keep to the facts and maintain high ethical standards. Credibility is established by using tone of voice, the right platform and establishing trust. Sports revolve around the support of the fans, who have a different relationship to their favourite team or sport than the usual consumer-brand relationship. Fans display a far greater sense of loyalty to the sport they follow but sports brands and media still need to understand the needs of the fans and how to develop engagement with them. Fans now have more choices than ever when it comes to sports and sports media, so its important to deliver the kind of content they want on the platforms they use. Risk is inherent in all industries and cannot be avoided. However, those in charge of a business should understand the importance of risk management and crisis management. These are particularly important in event industries such as live sports, where there are large numbers of people involved. Risks need to be evaluated and managed and a crisis team should be set up to handle any potential crisis. A crisis communication strategy is an integral stage in managing a crisis, as it will dictate whether a company is able to protect its reputation and prevent the situation from getting out of control. Sports broadcasting remains the most popular way for sports fans to follow the sports they love. Live broadcasts are incredibly popular and also form one of the main sources of revenue for many sports organisations. Broadcasts rights are sold to the highest bidder and can be very lucrative, theyve also led to rising costs for fans. As a result, signal piracy is on the rise and broadcasters will need to come up with a solution to prevent it. Broadcasting has been around for a long time, but it will need to adapt to continue to thrive and compete with other forms of media such as live streaming. The internet has the potential to change the sports industry as much as broadcasting did or even more so. Social media, over-the-top broadcasting and sports on demand have made sports more accessible than ever before. No matter where you are in the world, you can stay up to date with any sports competition and this has led to the biggest organisations and athletes gaining more fans in new markets. Digital media has also had a significant impact on sports journalism and sports marketing, forcing those working in these fields to adapt. The media and journalists should always aim to abide by a set of ethics when reporting on sports, even if the stories theyre covering might not be as serious as those reported on by regular journalists. Ethical considerations apply in sports media just as much in the regular media and key issues for consideration including privacy, the portrayal of womens sports and the use of social media. With so much change to the sports media and communication industry in just a few decades, those working in the industry have had to adapt and change fast. The rate of change hasnt slowed down, and the arrival of digital media has meant that the world of sports and sports media are now more different than ever. With virtual reality, free content and an increasing number of sports docum
