SPORTS MARKETING
SPORTS MARKETING
TV Rights : Effects On Sports Broadcasting In Africa
By Richard Wanjohi
In a few weeks , the world will come to a standstill as sport ’ s biggest extravaganza kicks off in Russia . An estimated 1.2 billion eyeballs will be glued to their screens for the monthlong festival of the football game . Be it at home , the local restaurant or pub , Fan Park or common area screen ; a large majority of the audience will catch the matches on TV . While we appreciate the fast-changing media landscape across the world , TV still remains king in attracting and keeping audiences – more so in the game of football .
Sports events around the world ignite passions and emotions on fans religiously following them . This becomes even more dramatic for live events . In fact , majority of fans would prefer to catch their favorite game or actions live – this with the multilevels of delivery and platforms – from online streaming to live reporting .
In our parts of the world , the realization of sports broadcast and the impact of TV rights is finally dawning on us . From the sports federations owning different properties and propping them for the various media partners to fans who love their action as and where they need it . With the increasingly affordable mobile devices and connectivity , the power of more than one screen has become a reality sooner rather than later in developing economies such as Africa ’ s .
In this discourse though , I ’ ll seek to indulge you on some of the major milestones to look out for on TV rights in sports across the history of sport .
History of TV Screening in Sport
To help us understand TV rights , it would
The biggest impact of TV rights has been providing alternative revenue channels to both sports federations and clubs . This has been growing phenomenally over the period of twenty years making sports properties some of the most valuable across the world . be important to understand what it means . TV rights include all copyright and related rights to televise a match or game . This is particularly to broadcasting organizations – media and TV organizations – which pay huge sums of money for the exclusive right to broadcast sports events live .
We ’ ve heard of one or the other local TV station calling itself the ‘ official TV station for the World Cup ’ or ‘ official broadcast partner for the Olympics ’. They usually do this after paying the rights to a third party which usually acquires these from the media partners of respective sports organizations .
Historically , sports appeared on TV as early as the 1930s in Europe with a broadcast of the Olympic Games in Germany . Though limited to a small audience of viewers who owned the prized silver screen then , it formed the basis of one of the best commercial aspects to impact sport .
In the US , live screening of TV of college baseball happened between 1930s-40s ’. Live sports at a nationwide – coast-tocoast level only came in 1951 with the show of an American Football college game . In this market these two sports disciplines would form a breeding ground for future developments in live sports and its interaction with TV and its varied audiences .
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