10
To begin, I thought I’d provide a link to the last unit of material and share a recent video that went viral. It demonstrates how the language of sport “is one of branding, sponsorship, event management, public relations, and television rights and, most crucially in the context of digital communications, social media activity” (Boyle and Haynes, 2014, p. 135). The following is a masterful example of sports-based public relations which, as could be expected, generated a lot of commentary (mostly about the nature of men’s vs. women’s soccer rather than French telecommunications).
Obviously, sport matters, both economically[1] and culturally (and often politically).[2] The global sports market generated over $500 billion in revenue in 2023[3]. Interestingly, the list of the word’s most valuable sports teams[4] and professional sports leagues by revenue[5] do not correspond to the most popular teams on social media[6]. Social media, e-commerce, and fan engagement initiatives by sports figures and franchises alike fuel the participatory culture around sports where even the sale of football (soccer) merchandise alone accounts for about $12 billion dollars a year[7]. This does not include the burgeoning popularity of e-sports, the mix of video games and professional organizations fuelled by live streaming and the creator economy, with 2023 figures of 31.6 million esports viewers and $264.3 million of advertising revenue[8]. Interestingly, one report further stratifies esports audiences into distinct categories of “occasional viewers” and “enthusiasts” to suggest an audience of over 532 million in 2022[9]. And one must also acknowledge the further mediatization of fun and competition that is fantasy sports. One estimate suggested this industry was worth more than $7 billion annually (Kissane and Winslow, 2020, p. 5). Taking all of this (and more) into account, a ‘scouting report’ of five major industry trends in the sporting industry for investors suggested “in this global golden age of sports, 2023 is expected to bring organizations and athletes more chances than ever to deeply connect with their fans”, highlighting the blending of physical and digital experiences, the importance of sports betting, the rise (but precarity) of women’s sports, and the professionalization of college athletics[10]. While this means the overall market is healthy and audience demand is similarly vital, what does this mean for the academic study of audiences situated in and understood as participatory culture?
First, we have to recognize that spectator sports are more than just spectacles of sport being performed by athletes for willing audiences. In today’s hyper-commercialized and hyper-mediated world, “sport producers (athletes, coaches, managers, owners, and administrators) co-create sporting events in conjunction with sport consumers (those attending the event)” (Andrews and Ritzer, 2018, p. 358). Sports spectators are prosumers, not just paying for the thrill of watch