Broadcasting sport: Analogue markets and digital rights

Abstract

The future of sport broadcasting is uniquely positioned between the analogue paradigm of long-standing television broadcast networks and the digital prototype of agile new entrants. Juxtaposed between the two, sport consumers are being marshalled into digital enclosures for efficient commodification. In this article, we map the collision and the disorderly consequences of this juxtaposition between the analogue and the digital markets. We consider the current development of digital media rights through a series of brief illustrative examples in key sports and markets and then look ahead to explore what the future of sport broadcasting might become and posit the impact of digital technologies on the business models of broadcasters, sport content owners, and consumers.