Media & Commericialisation (OCR GCSE Physical Education (PE)): Revision Note

The influence of media on the commercialisation of sport

• Commercialisation is the process of making a product available to make a profit

• In recent years some elite sports are a very lucrative business

• Most people, whether or not they play or watch sport, are aware of sport through the media

• The media communicates to the public in order to:

  • Educate audiences on sporting activities

  • Entertain audiences with sporting events such as the Olympics

  • Advertise products through sponsorships

The main types of media in sport

• Several types of media have a role in communicating sports to audiences

  • Social media

    • Popular social media platforms include Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok

    • This has introduced new ways of social interaction for sports fans and spectators

    • Advertisers can target specific groups, and users can post their own content for other users to see

    • Sports performers, teams and spectators can share their own sporting content with others rather than relying on other forms of media; this can be more interactive and reach a wide range of audiences

  • The internet

    • The internet ensures that sports can be viewed and communicated 24 hours a day to huge global audiences

    • The internet can be a two-way communication method, meaning that audiences and fans can not only read sports content, but they can interact and become an active member of online communities

  • Television (TV) and visual media

    • This is a very popular way for sports fans to view their favourite team's events E.g. the FIFA Football World Cup

    • TV companies pay sports bodies considerable sums for the rights to feature sporting action on their channels E.g. BBC, ITV, Sky and TNT Sports

    • The channels will earn revenue by charging audiences to watch a specific sporting event (e.g. pay-per- view), an on-going subscription fee or, or free channels, the broadcaster will sell advertising for their revenue

  • Newspapers and magazines

    • Traditionally known as 'the press' which refers to printed media such as newspapers and magazines

    • The press is delayed, in that it is broadcast to audiences after the event, but can be available 24 hours a day due to the internet

    • Traditional printed press is less popular now compared to other media types, but the sports pages typically at the back remain a big selling point for newspapers

    • Specialist sports magazines tend to focus on single sports in greater detail

    • Revenue is earned through advertising revenue and print sales

Social media can communicate sport in interactive forms

The influence of media on commercialisation

• The media can have both a positive and negative effect on sport for example:

  • The inspiring images from the 2012 Paralympic Games and how they changed people's perception of people with disabilities in our society

  • Football violence and hooliganism are highlighted and hyped up in the media which ruins the reputation of this sport in the UK