Traditional v New Media: The 21st Century

As we have identified in the first blog the transformations media ecology has gone through discuss the four main take-off points and identify the symbiotic relationship between media and sports. it’s important to acknowledge the present media ecology in sports. As previously identified it can be seen that media ecology is put simply the role media plays in life (Scolari, 2012). The globalisation of technology has caused a new digital world to emerge.

It can be seen how new media is dominating the current sports culture with the digital realm being highly expected, new media has allowed for two-way conservations to take place; where we can see with traditional media how this was one-way (Rowe, 2004). Although the media have the power to control what an audience does and doesn’t see, we can see how the relationship between sports and new media has allowed consumers to become prosumers (Rowe, 2004). As it remains important that traditional media can still work alongside new media, without it becoming replaced by digital media, although it cannot be guaranteed that this will always work.

McQuail & Deuze (2020) identified the five characteristics that new media have added to Media 2.0 shifting from Media 1.0.

• Interpersonal Communication – Firstly, messaging apps such as Facebook and wattsap have created a space for fans to communicate with each other digitally.
• Interactive Play Media – The digital realm has created a new space with video gaming, VR and esports. This has provided sports fans with the chance to connect with a personal sporting experience where they can play with their favourite team and players and compete in competitions and leagues. It was reported FIFA had sold over 325 million units of their game (Metcalfe, 2022).
• Information Search Media – With the introduction of the world wide web, sports fans are now able to search anything they want about any sports, teams, or players.
• Collective Participatory Media – Want of the biggest changes to the new digital world is the implication of social media networking sites with the likes on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Users can share content and communicate with others across these platforms. Data showed that over 60% of sports fans use social media platforms either to share sports content or interact with it (Gough, 2020).
• Substitutes of Broadcast Media – Lastly, sports consumers have now been able to watch sporting events live online through the means of digital streaming services, sport consumers can benefit from this as they can avoid paying for TV packages where the prices of these have seen to be increasing.

In the next blog we will explore how new media has helped Formula One.