A New Paradigm in the Distribution of Sport Contents : Sports as a New Media

Purpose - Sports and the media have been developed together through a close relationship. During the past decade, the media landscape and the coverage of sports events have been changed. Sports fans can use the sports content at the time they want, on the platform they prefer. Furthermore, thanks to the advanced information technology, sports fans are likely to be more engaged in sport in communication technology-friendly stadium. However, the literature on the relationship between sports and the media has heavily focused on the differences of media types, clear distinction between media suppliers and consumers, and the limited media extension. Given the limitation of prior research, therefore, it has not fully reflected the change in society and culture, the importance of media recipients or consumers, and the mediating characteristic of the media. In order to generate further insights for sport media related industry and its society, it is necessary to comprehend the contemporary phenomena of real world situation in new media and sport and to discuss how new media influence sport and how their relationship is changing in managerial context. The purpose of this study is to identify new media cases as distribution channels in sports context and is to develop insights by discussing its role and meaning of new media in sport society. Research design, data, and methodology - The study employed the theory-centered review and case analysis. In order to explain phenomena of the role of new media in contemporary sport and to generate related insights in sport context, the study reviewed the new media cases applied in sport industry and interpreted their meaning by employing medium theory, remediation theory, and new media theory. Results - The study discussed the limitation of prior sport media research and identified the characteristics of sport as new media such as remediating, extending sensory organs, reiterating physical space and electronic space. Conclusions - Th