Tenth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

Gaming technologies are impacting spectators of sporting events both at home and at live events. Numbers attending major sporting events are reportedly on the decline and television viewing figures are down year on year globally. With audiences becoming more fragmented, more disparate and arguably less loyal, the sports industry is looking for ways to inject new life into sports broadcasting in a bid to capture and retain audiences. Against this backdrop, there is the rapid growth in e-sports both from spectators attending live events and participants online. Forecasters are predicting that e-sports will generate more than £1bn in global revenue and reach an audience of 600 million by 2020. Using a case study of EAsports FIFA Series, this industry study explores the role sports journalists and broadcast media play and asks the question of how is the emerging sector of e-sports being mediated through sports journalism in the UK? There is no study to date which considers the role of journalism in the emerging e-sports sector. The study is likely to interest producers, managers, and leaders working in broadcasting and online platforms, as well as media scholars.