Digital transformation has impacted football not only via platforms, but also on-pitch with the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). A study analysing over 300,000 comments left on FIFA's official YouTube videos revealed that about 60% of fans disliked VAR. Fans typically associated VAR with three negative aspects: favouring bigger nations, non-neutrality of technology, and destruction of traditional football. They perceived VAR as another tool used in modern football's commercialisation and mediatisation.
The Effect eSports on the Sporting Industry in particular the Football Industry during the Pandemic.
My recent blog posts have covered the digital disruption in the football industry and the digital revolution in sports media ecology in women's football. In continuation of this, this blog is going to analyse the effect of eSports on the football industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. eSports is set to become one of the fastest... Continue Reading →
Digital Revolution? Persisting Gender Inequalities in Digital Sports Broadcasting: The case of FIFA TV on YouTube
A research comparing men's and women's FIFA World Cup videos on YouTube found that while men's videos have more views and engagement, women's videos received more likes per view, showing signs of favorable engagement. These findings suggest that the digital revolution has not fully disrupted gender inequalities in sports media, but there are hopeful indicators of an increasingly equitable consumption of content.
Have Social Media Disrupted Football Consumption?
While researching to write a chapter on digital and social media disruptions on the consumption of football for an upcoming book on The Business of FIFA I went about collecting data from a particular social media platform - YouTube - to discuss the possible transformations that the so-called digital revolution has caused on sport. For... Continue Reading →
The Rise of Social Media Influencers and E-sports: Will they bring in New Audiences?
The fifth blog of this series highlights the influence of new media in gaining new audiences in football.
Meet the Team – Taj
Hi guys, my name is Tajvir Bedesha but commonly known as Taj. I am 23 years old currently studying MSc Strategic Sport Marketing at Leeds Beckett University. My aims and objectives are to run a successful Gym and Fitness business, where my passion for fitness and health has enabled to me reach further heights in... Continue Reading →
Media and Digital Transformation in Sport 