Social Media Becomes Traditional: Sport Media Consumption and the Blending of Modern Information Pathways

ABSTRACT

As sports media evolves, it becomes more integrated. The mobile sport consumption only blurs these lines further, as fans may be finding “information” they do not regard as platform or outlet-specific. A survey of 199 sports fans reveals differences in the uses sought and gratifications from three forms of sports news social media offerings: (a) official team-managed social media outlets, (b) media-managed social media outlets, and (c) fan-managed social media outlets. Results showed that fan-managed social media outlets were less utilized than the other two forms of sport-related social media outlets and gratifications obtained from fan-managed social media were less than those for the other two options. Ramifications are offered on the theoretical and applied levels.

社交媒体成为传统: 体育媒体消费以及现代信息传播路径的综合

体育媒体的发展越来越呈现一体化趋势。移动体育消费只是让这种一体化的趋势变得更加模糊, 因为很多体育迷发现了一些既不属于平台, 也不属于指定电台的“信息”。一项对199名体育迷的调查显示, 他们对三种形式的体育新闻社交媒体分别有不同的要求和满意度: 第一种是官方团队运营的社交媒体, 第二种是由媒体自身管理的社交媒体, 第三种是由粉丝管理的社交媒体。调查结果表明, 粉丝管理的社交媒体比其它两种形式的体育社交媒体利用率更低, 获得的满意度也更低。其影响力不但体现在理论层面, 也体现在应用层面。

KEYWORDS:

• Sport
• news
• information
• media
• fan

关键词:

• 体育
• 新闻
• 信息
• 媒体
• 粉丝

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Note: **Item reverse-coded.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Melvin Lewis

Melvin Lewis (PhD, the University of Alabama) is an assistant professor in the Sports Business Management Graduate Program and a fellow of the Alabama Program in sports communication at the University of Alabama in United States. His current research focuses on sport-consumer behavior and technology in sports.

Kenon A. Brown

Kenon A. Brown (PhD, the University of Alabama) is an assistant professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, a fellow of the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations and a programming director of the Alabama Program in sports communication at the University of Alabama in United States. His research interests include image and reputation management in sports, and minority recruitment in mass communication.

Andrew C. Billings

Andrew C. Billings (PhD, Indiana University) is the Ronald Reagan chair of broadcasting and the director of the Alabama Program in sports communication at the University of Alabama in United States. His research interests typically focus on the nexus of media, sport, and societal change.