Sport on television is big business, but it is about more than just commerce. Using a range of national case studies from Europe and beyond, this book analyses the political, economic, social and regulatory issues raised in relation to the buying and selling of television sports rights.

Drawing from theories of the political economy of communication, this book offers readers a comprehensive data-rich assessment of contemporary sports television and its evolution. Providing an in-depth look at the ownership and regulation of sports television in the United States, William M. Kunz analyzes a range of platforms, networks, and sports, with particular focus on the way ownership has become concentrated in five conglomerates: AT&T, CBS, Comcast, Disney and Fox. The end result of years of media consolidation is that broadcast networks are now married to cable and streaming services under a single conglomerate, which has implications for the cost of contracts and the negotiation of distribution deals. Examining multiple platforms, networks and sports in an all-inclusive manner, this volume documents the evolution and current state of affairs of sports television. With historic and current data on rights fees for sports television leagues and events as well as carriage fees and subscription levels for sports-related cable and satellite services, this comparative study offers critical information for students and scholars conducting research on sports television.

Sport on television is big business, but it is about more than just commerce. Using a range of national case studies from Europe and beyond, this book analyses the political, economic, social and regulatory issues raised in relation to the buying and selling of television sports rights.

Sport on television is big business, but it is about more than just commerce. Using a range of national case studies from Europe and beyond, this book analyses the political, economic, social and regulatory issues raised in relation to the buying and selling of television sports rights.

This guidebook, aimed at those interested in studying media industries, provides direction in ways best suited to collaborative dialogue between media scholars and media professionals. While the study of media industries is a focal point at many universities around the world – promising, as it might, rich dialogues between academia and industry – understandings of the actual methodologies for researching the media industries remain vague. What are the best methods for analysing the workings of media industries – and how does one navigate those methods in light of complex deterrents like copyright and policy, not to mention the difficulty of gaining access to the media industries? Responding to these questions, Industrial Approaches to Media offers practical, theoretical, and ethical principles for the field of media industry studies, providing its first full methodological exploration. It features key scholars such as Henry Jenkins, Michele Hilmes, Paul McDonald and Alisa Perren.

The Transformation of Television Sport: New Methods, New Rules examines how developments in technology, broadcasting rights and regulation combine to determine what sport we see on television, where we can see it and what the final output looks and sounds like.

Sports now constitute one of the most valuable forms of broadcast entertainment in today’s lucrative international market. This textbook explains the economics underlying the sports broadcasting phenomenon. The specific regulatory culture governing sports broadcasting means that the financial economy of this area has many unique features. The Economics of Sports Broadcasting provides an accessible, detailed introduction to all aspects of economics in this fascinating area. The book contains a wealth of textbook features and has been written and designed to facilitate student learning. It includes: questions of ownership, trade and commodity in sport the historical context for contemporary sports broadcasting the key players – viewers, TV channels, sponsors, clubs, event owners and authorities the regulations governing televised sport the international context for broadcast sport competition and game theory in sports broadcasting sports broadcasting’s changing landscape of ownership and supply channels. This book will be useful for courses in media and broadcasting, economics, sport management and sports development.