Main Aim(s) of the Unit:

This unit examines the main concepts of sport and the media within a framework which very much encapsulates the fact that we live in a world immersed in sport media, yet it has become so much part of everyday life that it often goes unnoticed. The emphasis of the unit is the need to appreciate the complexities of the subject area which has gradually seen sport become headline news through the growth of media technologies. The main aim is to provide the necessary knowledge, tools and understanding of sport and the media as a basis for the study of sport management in general.

Main Topics of Study:

Sport Media Foundations

• Defining sport & the media
• Sport media saturation
• Managing the nexus
• What is driving the sport media nexus – Technology, Commercialisation, Convergence, Globalisation?
• Media games: the evolution of the nexus
• Pay television, Internet, Mobile technologies

Sport Media Landscapes

• The sport and media industries
• Key media players
• Key sport players
• Broadcast rights and revenue
• The value of rights
• Sports sponsorship and media
• Sport media regulation
• Sport media texts
• Sport media production
• Implications for sport media management

Sport Media Strategies

• Sport media planning and promotion
• Getting to know the media
• Media coverage opportunities
• Media communications
• Feeding the media
• Media conferences
• Media events
• The commodity of sport celebrity
• What are sports stars? Player management
• Managing crises, scandals and reputations
• Crisis and scandal management

Sport Media Futures

• A brave new world
• Nexus drivers
• Ownership, rights and regulations
• New media
• Global players and niche markets
• Positive or negative coverage
• Sport celebrity

Learning Outcomes for the Unit

At the end of this Unit, students will be able to:

1. Appreciate an understanding of the main sport and the media theories relating to various organisations, key stakeholders and the industry itself
2. Research and reflect on a range of media strategies within the sports industry
3. Critically evaluate a number of sports industry problems and how the media might be utilised to solve or manage them

Learning and teaching  methods/strategies used to enable the achievement of learning outcomes:

Learning takes place on a number of levels through lectures, class discussion including problem review and analysis. Formal lectures provide a foundation of information on which the student builds through directed learning and self managed learning outside of the class. The students are actively encouraged to form study groups to discuss course material which fosters a greater depth learning experience.

Assessment methods which enable student to demonstrate the learning outcomes for the Unit:

Examination: 3 hours duration

Indicative Reading for this Unit:

Main Text:

Sport and the Media – M. Nicholson (Butterworth-Heinemann) 2008

Guideline for Teaching and Learning Time (10 hrs per credit)

50 hours Lectures / Seminars / Tutorials / Workshops:
Tutorial support includes feedback on assignments and may vary by college according to local needs and wishes.

50 hours Directed learning:
Advance reading and preparation / Class preparation / Background reading / Group study / Portfolio / Diary etc

100 hours Self managed learning:
Working through the course text and completing assignments as required will take up the bulk of the learning time.  In addition students are expected to engage with the tutor and other students and to undertake further reading using the web and/or libraries.