Abstract
As the global sports and new media industries continue to grow in popularity and economic importance, their dynamic inter-relationship is also becoming increasingly sophisticated. Indeed, for a considerable time now, the rapid developments within the media–sport nexus have necessitated a thorough and up-to-date examination of its current, uncertain state. With their research monograph Sport Beyond Television, Brett Hutchins and David Rowe, two of the leading scholars in the field of sport, culture and the media, respond directly to the need for a comprehensive analysis of the sport–media complex at this pivotal juncture in the industry’s evolution.
According to Hutchins and Rowe, the basic idea behind Sport Beyond Television and its key points of inquiry originated from a series of presentations and discussions at the 2010 Sports Broadcasting Summit in Sydney. Thus, the authors of this book set out to investigate the complex relationship between sport and various transformative technological developments, emerging commercial opportunities and digital media trends. At the same time, Sport Beyond Television considers the uncertainty and market unease that the innovation of technology creates for industry stakeholders. In their analysis of how and why contemporary media sport is changing, the authors supplement their discussion of common issues in popular new media discourse, such as the illusiveness and anonymity of online audiences, with the particular sets of challenges that these changes pose for the various members of the media-sport industry.
Sport Beyond Television consists of eight main chapters; the final chapter additionally serves as an epilogue in which Hutchins and Rowe consider the possible future developments within the media-sport industry. Throughout the book there runs a consistent thread which characterises in great detail the complex interconnections between sport and its presence and representations across the various new media platforms. Hutchins and Rowe support their comprehensive yet accessible theoretical and conceptual analysis with the use of extensive case studies and primary evidence collected through multiple in-depth interviews with workers and members of the media-sport industry. The well-informed core analysis is thereby always logical and original.
It ought to be mentioned that, whilst the narrow geographical focus of the book’s predominantly Australian case studies allows the authors to delve into great detail in their examination, it raises some initial concerns vis-a-vis the generalisability and longevity of their work; the continuously changing new media landscape additionally further complicates the latter. Yet, with regard to the wider observations and arguments that in turn emerge from the original research, Hutchins and Rowe offer what is ultimately a highly focused and nuanced overview of the contemporary media–sport complex.
Whilst the authors cover theories and concepts from various disciplinary fields, including media studies, cultural studies, sociology and law, a political economy perspective is adopted for the majority of the discussion. This corresponds closely to the increasing recognition that this approach to the analysis of the sport–media relationship has received in recent years. Hutchins and Rowe’s applied disciplinary focus means that they take into account at all times the path of the money flow, who controls it and how it ultimately dictates shifts in the power balance across the sport-media sector. Considering the great economic importance of both the global sports and new media industries, this is a highly relevant approach which, importantly, gives prominence to the idea that these two businesses significantly shape each other on a day-to-day basis.
One of the book’s greatest strengths thus lies in the transition from micro- to macrocosm, the central thesis being that sport is having an increasingly significant impact on the way in which new media forms, channels and organisations are shaping up – a discussion which essentially resembles the way in which pornography is often considered to have revolutionised technology. It is also a notion which, considering the popular appeal and commercial value of sports content, has generally received insufficient attention within new media discourse. The authors recognise that understanding what they refer to as ‘networked media sport’ (p.5), and counteracting the lack of critical attention this sector has received, can play a crucial role in the attempt to recognise and generalise the operations of media and power in contemporary society.
Whilst the role of new media in the production and consumption of sports content constitutes the central focus of Hutchins and Rowe’s discussion, the authors at the same time refute the popular claim that we are reaching the end of the television era. Wary of technological determinism, the authors argue that ‘old media’ players will not cease to be highly important components of the sport–media complex, and that these organisations and companies will instead learn to adapt to new media forms and attempt to harness their potential. Rather than replacing television as an important platform for sports coverage in convergent digital media landscapes, the argument goes that it is first and foremost our viewing habits that will change in the face of technological innovation.
This approach serves as an example of Hutchins and Rowe’s apprehension towards the excitement caused by constantly changing new media technologies and the possibility of reaching rash and premature conclusions as a result. There generally exists a refreshing air of scepticism surrounding the adoption and application of Internet-based participatory new media platforms and channels such as YouTube, Twitter or Facebook and the opportunities they are often said to be capable of opening for audiences and members of the media-sport industry. Throughout the course of Sport Beyond Television, popular ideas and concepts in new media discourse, such as the notion that a networked media system in the age of digital plenitude could lend itself to cultural and political democratisation, are effectively challenged.
It is in these passages that the authors supplement their political economy approach by reflecting on the potential socio-cultural implications that accompany the ever-changing dynamics of networked media sport, its trends and trajectories. In fact, Hutchins and Rowe emphasise several times the social significance of the media–sports cultural complex. Whilst these sections underline, for the most part, the authors’ compelling call for a holistic approach, occasional case studies appear somewhat overambitious and perhaps too complex in the context of the book’s overarching political economy focus. The brief discussion of gender issues in relation to fantasy sport leagues and video games, which suggests that the rise of a networked society does not translate to equitable gender politics, arguably represents the most prominent example.
Despite a brief and somewhat incongruous excursion into such a discussion of gender politics, Hutchins and Rowe’s chapter on sport and video games constitutes one of the book’s most original and engaging sections. Given the increasing economic profitability of video games and the significance of annual sport releases including FIFA, Madden NFL and Tiger Woods PGA Tour in generating huge, reliable profits for companies such as EA Sports, a comprehensive examination of sport and video games has long been overdue. The increasingly intense relationship between video games and the reality of live sport broadcasting, as well as corresponding problems related to licensing and intellectual property issues, have remained largely untouched in sport-media discourse despite displaying highly relevant links to wider issues perhaps more commonly discussed in this field of study. The discussion of EA Sports’ influence on the global media-sport industry, including the way in which video games have started to infiltrate coverage of live sports, thus constitutes one of the most original and thought-provoking passages in Sport Beyond Television.
Furthermore, the incorporation of video games likewise illustrates that Hutchins and Rowe always keep in mind the sport audience, reflecting on what happens to them in the post-analogue broadcast era. In their discussion surrounding the role of the online ‘produser’ (p. 72), the authors challenge the notion that Internet users must be feared by members of the sport-media industry and suggest instead that activities such as crowdsourcing can generate useful data, as long as this information is selected and processed carefully. Whilst the aggravated existence of sports journalists in the digital era does receive some attention, with Hutchins and Rowe accounting for the difficulty of having to work simultaneously on multiple platforms, the associated dangers of creative cannibalisation and the threat posed by citizen journalists who have changed the once comfortable journalistic habitat, this does not constitute the central focus. Instead, the book draws attention to legal or policy concerns that accompany the use of new media platforms and channels. The authors thereby recognise potential complications both for online ‘produsers’ and athletes. Whilst the latter are given greater autonomy by social media platforms such as Twitter, they simultaneously run the risk of underestimating their power, and damage their image as a result – a phenomenon which has become a frequent occurrence in recent times and thus rightly warrants its place in Hutchins and Rowe’s book.
As suggested throughout this discussion, Sport Beyond Television’s greatest strength ultimately lies in its systematic and holistic approach. Only by adapting this multidisciplinary perspective are Hutchins and Rowe able to do justice to the highly complicated dynamics of the rapidly changing sport–media complex. Moreover, the theoretical and conceptual analysis is combined excellently with empirical evidence from the numerous interviews carried out by the authors with various members and participants of the sport media industry, from video game developers and media managers to athletes – a whole host of opinions and perspectives are gathered and their arguments are deployed effectively within the thesis of the book. With an accessible writing style which is largely void of dense theoretical jargon, Sport Beyond Television is a highly useful book for students seeking an introduction to the world of media sport. At the same time, its sophisticated grasp of academic literature and theory makes it a key text for professional scholars and academics interested in new media and sport studies.