To retain its target audience and remain a popular activity, the sport needs the support of television as one of the main media tools. Television provides ample chances for the sports industry to attract investors and new participants. However, the rise in influence and grasp comes at a price, which constitutes the changes in how and by whom it is played. The described issues affect football as a televised sport that has a huge global audience whose taste it needs to satisfy.
The necessity to o accommodate television and increase the range of audiences that are willing to view the game defines the presence of cheerleaders in football. While cheerleaders used to be the source of support for football players, they are currently used as the means of attracting audiences and keeping their eyes on the field (Mirer & Mederson, 2017).
The outlined sacrifice that football has to make in order to accommodate television echoes another change that had to be made in order to translate the sport into the television format. Namely, the need to single out players and, therefore, create additional products that can be marketed to viewers, should be named. The described strategy affects the integrity of the team and its performance, yet it also makes football more popular.
Likewise, several conflicts between the needs of the sport and other stakeholders, namely, fans, media, and broadcasters, need to be identified. The main dispute concerns the broadcasters’ desire to make the game exciting for viewers versus the players’ wish to keep the game fair and honest. Another critical source of conflict occurring between the needs of the sport and the needs of its fans is the focus on the game versus the focus on the rivalry. Although the game is the central point of interest for players, fans appear to be focused on comparing their favorite teams and having heated discussions about the subject matter.
Reference
Mirer, M., & Mederson, M. (2017). Leading with the head: How NBC’s football night in America framed football’s concussion crisis, a case study. Journal of Sports Media, 12(1), 21-44. Web.