When the Medium Becomes 'Well Done': Sport, Television, and Technology in the Twenty-First Century

摘要

One of the fundamental issues in the relation between television and sports has been the transference from watching a game or a sport in the field (the stadium) to the viewing experience through a proxy (the medium). The present article argues that sport broadcasts on television in the twenty-first century do not merely provide a sophisticated view of what takes place at the stadium but a new creation with unique characteristics. By using the latest technology-driven examples and assuming that other ones are already being used such as the second screen combination of watching TV and simultaneously using a smartphone or tablet for better statistics or social interaction, it is asserted that being there has become less imperative, as alternatives to watching matches live and in person at many sporting events have become in many cases better options.