I envision the future of sports communication is going to be a lot more interactive for fans. Even though I don’t participate in it but the social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) outbreak really is perfect for sports, when you think about it. Sports fans want to feel a certain level of intimacy with their sports heroes and the athletes no longer have to worry about having their words misconstrued (because they’re saying them themselves) or worry about the wrong message getting out there (Jones, 2009). The sports reporter, which used to be our middleperson, can be cut out of the loop.
So what does sports communication look like a few years from now? I expect the shift to digital, instantaneous, communication to continue, in part because there seems to be nothing present to slow it down (Jones, 2009). Players and teams have already started setting up team twitter accounts (some of them are even using Twitter to sell ticket packages), and I could easily envision a future where each player conducts after game interviews using web cams and social media sites. It has started to happen with Lance Armstrong choosing to bypass a post-race interview and instead twittering his thoughts on the race. The internet has allowed the average person to get the information they so desperately crave without having to pay for or watch the commercials or pay premium cable prices to get info.
Twitter had become the media product the people are using religiously. Over any newspaper, over any single television station, over any book, magazine, website, radio station, or other media product you can name.
Here are some reasons Twitter has changed the sports communications game:
1. Twitter empowers the individual.
People respond to individuals on Twitter, they don't respond to companies.
2. You really don’t need to go to websites anymore. You can go directly to writer's articles.
3. News breaks on Twitter.
Remember way back in the distant past of 2007 when the "breaking news" banner on ESPN was a big deal? See when news breaks on Twitter and watch how long it takes for ESPN to "break" the news on television. There's at least a half-hour delay.
4. Every individual is a network now.
On Twitter everyone are executives in charge of our own entertainment options and editors formatting their own constantly updating news feed. Back in the day, reporters used to gather around the incredibly expensive AP wire to know the news as it broke, now every single one of us has that option. Twitter is our free AP wire.
You choose the individuals and stories that are compelling to you and wait for them to pop up on your feed. But as Twitter becomes more and more popular, other media will need to recognize that consumers expect more control over their entertainment options.
In the article written by Rein, Kotler, and Shields (2007) it was mentioned that because of technological innovations sports teams and leagues are communicating differently with their fans. The content providers are building pipelines that are directly centered toward their fans. One of the main leaders in this transformation is “Manchester United, billion-dollar English Football (Soccer) Club, which has adapted and expanded ESPN’s blueprint to its own one-city team. It has a television channel (MU TV), radio station (MU Radio), magazine (United), mobile phone service (MU Mobile), team-themed restaurants (the Red Café), and interactive Web site (Manutd.com) with streaming video, audio, insider information, and a fantasy game. Outdoing ESPN, it even has its own financial services, including car insurance, credit cards, and mortgages; a ManU lottery; and a host of other attractions” (Rein, Kotler, & Shields, 2007). This was amazing to me as the sports industries in the United States are not even close to producing that type of technological innovation. However, that is where the sports world is heading. It would be very interesting to see what sports industry will be the first to adapt to this type of advancement.
References:
Jones, Emmett (March 2009). The Future of Sports & Sports Business: Communication. Sports Business Digest. http://sportsbusinessdigest.com/2009/03/the-future-of-sports-sports-business-communication/?wpmp_switcher=mobile
Travis, Clay (December 2011). 2011 Belonged to Twitter. So does the Future of Sports Media. Outkick the Coverage. http://outkickthecoverage.com/2011-belonged-to-twitter.php
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. http://tiffinonline.org/pub/content/f5580c07-d3fd-4b5b-ae90-a51709737b48/The_Future_of_Sports_Media.pdf?eclg_res=1157425&eclg_resver=2152558
So what does sports communication look like a few years from now? I expect the shift to digital, instantaneous, communication to continue, in part because there seems to be nothing present to slow it down (Jones, 2009). Players and teams have already started setting up team twitter accounts (some of them are even using Twitter to sell ticket packages), and I could easily envision a future where each player conducts after game interviews using web cams and social media sites. It has started to happen with Lance Armstrong choosing to bypass a post-race interview and instead twittering his thoughts on the race. The internet has allowed the average person to get the information they so desperately crave without having to pay for or watch the commercials or pay premium cable prices to get info.
Twitter had become the media product the people are using religiously. Over any newspaper, over any single television station, over any book, magazine, website, radio station, or other media product you can name.
Here are some reasons Twitter has changed the sports communications game:
1. Twitter empowers the individual.
People respond to individuals on Twitter, they don't respond to companies.
2. You really don’t need to go to websites anymore. You can go directly to writer's articles.
3. News breaks on Twitter.
Remember way back in the distant past of 2007 when the "breaking news" banner on ESPN was a big deal? See when news breaks on Twitter and watch how long it takes for ESPN to "break" the news on television. There's at least a half-hour delay.
4. Every individual is a network now.
On Twitter everyone are executives in charge of our own entertainment options and editors formatting their own constantly updating news feed. Back in the day, reporters used to gather around the incredibly expensive AP wire to know the news as it broke, now every single one of us has that option. Twitter is our free AP wire.
You choose the individuals and stories that are compelling to you and wait for them to pop up on your feed. But as Twitter becomes more and more popular, other media will need to recognize that consumers expect more control over their entertainment options.
In the article written by Rein, Kotler, and Shields (2007) it was mentioned that because of technological innovations sports teams and leagues are communicating differently with their fans. The content providers are building pipelines that are directly centered toward their fans. One of the main leaders in this transformation is “Manchester United, billion-dollar English Football (Soccer) Club, which has adapted and expanded ESPN’s blueprint to its own one-city team. It has a television channel (MU TV), radio station (MU Radio), magazine (United), mobile phone service (MU Mobile), team-themed restaurants (the Red Café), and interactive Web site (Manutd.com) with streaming video, audio, insider information, and a fantasy game. Outdoing ESPN, it even has its own financial services, including car insurance, credit cards, and mortgages; a ManU lottery; and a host of other attractions” (Rein, Kotler, & Shields, 2007). This was amazing to me as the sports industries in the United States are not even close to producing that type of technological innovation. However, that is where the sports world is heading. It would be very interesting to see what sports industry will be the first to adapt to this type of advancement.
References:
Jones, Emmett (March 2009). The Future of Sports & Sports Business: Communication. Sports Business Digest. http://sportsbusinessdigest.com/2009/03/the-future-of-sports-sports-business-communication/?wpmp_switcher=mobile
Travis, Clay (December 2011). 2011 Belonged to Twitter. So does the Future of Sports Media. Outkick the Coverage. http://outkickthecoverage.com/2011-belonged-to-twitter.php
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. http://tiffinonline.org/pub/content/f5580c07-d3fd-4b5b-ae90-a51709737b48/The_Future_of_Sports_Media.pdf?eclg_res=1157425&eclg_resver=2152558