Beginning in early March 2020, sport in the United States entered an unprecedented period of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The postponement, suspension, and cancellation of live sporting events impacted every professional and amateur sport organization, from the National Basketball Association to the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, high school sports to college football, and even esports leagues. Although the abrupt cancellation of live sporting events was disruptive, it did create opportunities for the production of new media and consumption opportunities for sport leagues, teams, and their fans through different types of sport media broadcasts. This commentary examines how the U.S. sport industry developed media content strategies using new, mixed, and rebroadcasted content, across multiple broadcast and streaming platforms, to provide sport consumption opportunities to fans who were largely quarantined at home. This research contributes to the existing scholarship on live and rebroadcasted mediated content, while providing guidance to content owners and rights holders facing uncertainty in the marketplace.
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Rebooting Content: Broadcasting Sport and Esports to Homes During COVID-19
Michael M. Goldman and David P. Hedlund
The Elephant in the Room: How COVID-19’s Financial Impact Further Threatens Title IX Compliance
Karen L. Hartman
request leniency from several NCAA regulations. The commissioners noted a need for flexibility due to potential COVID-19 financial challenges, such as decreased state appropriation funding, lower philanthropic giving, and reduced enrollment. One week later, 22 schools belonging to the Collegiate
COVID-19 and Youth Sports: Psychological, Developmental, and Economic Impacts
Jimmy Sanderson and Katie Brown
, estimates suggest that 45 million children play sports in the United States ( Swanson, n.d. ). These figures, coupled with estimates of approximately 7.9 million teens participating in high school sports in the United States ( NFHS News, 2019 ), illustrate how the reduction in sport participation has
The Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on a Major Event Legacy: The 2020 National Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Final Four
Beth A. Cianfrone and Timothy Kellison
community, working with the NCAA, corporate partners, and contractors to execute their objectives” (C. Mouton, personal communication, April 15, 2020). A series of host committee programs included Read to the Final Four (an elementary-school-based, citywide, bracket-style reading series), the Legacy
Interview With Josh Krulewitz, ESPN Vice President, Communications
Chris Hanna
decisions from a professional standpoint, they are also dealing with school closures and relatives and mitigating their personal risk. Hanna : Does ESPN play a role in the national morale during times like these? Krulewitz : I think it is a fair consideration. It is not something necessarily that we sit
Critiquing the Social Media Scholarship in Sport Studies: Looking Beyond Content and Adopting Critical Approaches
Jimmy Sanderson
revenue from endorsement deals, including those on social media. These developments have also prompted some states to adopt laws that now allow high school athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness. As these events have unfolded, they provide abundant opportunities for research. For
“It Has Changed Completely”: How Local Sports Broadcasters Adapted to No Sports
Kevin Hull and Miles Romney
broadcasters throughout the United States could not. These sportscasters rely on filling their segments with highlights of high school sports, interviews with coaches, and videos of local athletes doing something remarkable ( Schultz & Arke, 2016 ). However, with all sporting events canceled, local sports
The Norwegian Football Family and Strategic Crisis Communication
Elsa Kristiansen, Therese Dille, and Simon Tærud Day
month, the Norwegian government participated in global research on how the virus affects people by working with the World Health Organization and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). From March 12 onward, Norway was officially shut down; schools were closed, and the strictest rules of
Mentioned, Quoted, and Promoted: How Sports Journalists Constructed a Narrative of Athletes’ Value in the “Name, Image, and Likeness” Era
Shannon Scovel
they use their school logos in certain states. These rules essentially individualized athlete income and put the onus and labor on athletes themselves to find deals, sign contracts, and navigate promotional opportunities. Debates over athlete rights in the NCAA date back decades. However, the NCAA
Sport and the Coronavirus Crisis Special Issue: An Introduction
Brody J. Ruihley and Bo Li
conversations about fan attendance were being held for high school, college, and professional competition. On March 10, in a decision that many thought to be premature, the Ivy League college basketball conference canceled its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. The events of the next 72 hours would