Sport media management

1st half of the 20th century: Before the Media Changed Sports

• Athletics were more recreational than revenue generating 

• Main job of sports liaison to the media was to foster positive relationships and manage negative news

• Job of sports info officer is to always positively promote the info using the media as a vehicle for the promotion

• Excellent interpersonal skills and solid relationships with reports led to success in promoting the organization 

With television

Sports=

Television networks would offer significant amounts of money to _______ ______ for exclusivity 

sports organizations

$$ triggered a tremendous ______ in television coverage of sports into the 2nd half of 20th century

growth

Media relations:

same as public relations

Sports info office:

different between colleges

Good sport info specialists need to know about

audio and video production, finance, law, marketing, negotiation, game organization, etc

Seeking the right mix of schools, NCAA Athletics Directors formed and reformed

athletic conferences to attract the most lucrative broadcast bids

The larger and more organized the athletics program…

The more complex the job for the sports info specialist 

Media.. Friend or Foe???

• Be very wary of the media

• “Off the record” means don't publish that

Mass Media in the U.S.

• 1. Social Media 

• 2. Newspaper 

• 3. Television

• 4. Radio

• 5. Magazines 

• By the time they are teenagers, American children have spent ___ hours watching TV than they have in school

• By the time they are adults, Americans have spent ___ than half their waking lives in contact with the media

MORE

American Adults:

TV- 3hrs/38min per day

2019 CFP Championship

$33mil per team

increase in freshman applications

16.8%

Avg GPA 3.75 (or higher)

up from 86% to 91.1%

BIG $$$ for

SuperBowl television rights =

Sport Comm. is over

200 years old

May 5,1773:

Boston Gazette

1896:

Joseph Pulitzer for the New York World, offered the 1st sports section

1920’s-1930’s:

papers started assigning “beat reporters” to cover home teams

1950’s…

 television coverage drove newspaper reporters to locker rooms

1960’s..

High profit margins led to conglomeration

Sports now is the _____ people buy newspapers

#1 reason

Most watched program=

Super Bowl LVIII (2023)

Print:

provides second-hand, second day rundown on sporting events

Broadcast

radio and television provide same day coverage and a front row seat at the game

Why has television become the most popular and powerful media in the world with regards to sports coverage?

Because it has the ability to bring the audience into the sports arena

Television has _____ game schedules in order to fit into optimum timeslots for television viewership

altered

What do we need to know?

• Radio DJ’s who want a score

• Network Television Execs seeking licensing agreements 

• Radio and Television Sports Directors (credentials, interviews, information for stories, etc.)

• Announcers and producers to make the live coverage 

Two sides to the issue of PR in sport..

• Sport Org = provide media with info and access

• Sport Media = sort through endless material supplies

Key to success=

develop a good working relationship and a clear understanding of what each side is trying to accomplish

Sport Org Perspective

• Promote good news.. Handle bad with dexterity

• Promote athletes, coaches, and organization

• Maintain loyalty to media without sacrificing what is best for team, coaches, and athletes 

• Teaching your team how to “handle the media”

• Build trust where there might be mistrust 

• Media isn’t a “necessary evil”

Media views perspective differently 

• Most important item of the day, or another event taking up time and space?

• Balance the needs of organization with best interests of audience

What does the media want from you?

• Set up interviews with players, coaches, and others

• Set up game coverage or get highlights

• Produce a “coaches show”

What does the media need from you?

Special equipment, electrical hookups, place to park, runners to relay info/stats

A double edged sword

• Live game coverage may boost fan support, but will the fans end up staying home? What if it’s raining hard?

• Will revenues from broadcast rights offset gate receipts and concession revenues?

• Is there a link between the # of empty seats we see and the # of television outlets broadcasting games

Radio and Television can be an asset…

PSA’s = Free publicity??

1843:

Samuel Morse creates long-distance telegraph line.

1892:

Nathan Stubblefield makes early wireless voice transmissions.

1895:

Guglielmo Marconi develops practical radio wave generator.

1907:

Lee DeForest creates vacuum tube for voice transmission.

1930:

1930:

1926:

John Logie Baird gives first public TV demo.

1927:

Bell Telephone and AT&T; demo TV transmission in the USA.

1935-41:

Electronic TV perfected, broadcasting begins.

WWII:

TV broadcasting halted.

1946-49

Post-war boom in TV sales.

1950s:

"Golden Age of Television."

1960s-present:

HDTV developed, digital age begins.