Sports broadcasting is one of the most accessible professions in terms of internet streaming. Most sports leagues have official websites and YouTube channels that broadcast episodes from previous games or seasons and sometimes even live coverage. It’s easy to see where the game is going or what just happened without having to hop on a bus ride or purchase expensive tickets. With modern technologies like DVRs and smartphones, it’s easy for people to catch up with their favorite team on the go, making this an excellent hobby for those who aren’t into traditional team sports.
In this study, we looked at the accessibility of 큐티비 sports broadcasts in terms of three key areas: access, affordability, and diversity. Accessibility refers to the ease with which a user can find information about sports broadcasts on their own or simply by searching for content through several platforms such as Google search. Affordability is how much someone would have to pay to watch broadcast sporting events. Diversity refers to the variety of sports that are broadcasted.
While these topics generally seem easy enough to answer, it requires us to look at several factors that may affect what type of broadcasts are available, how this content is marketed and how accessible it is to people who want it.
An important factor in access is the availability of internet streaming, where it is geographically available, and what kinds of content it offers. In South Africa, for example, broadcasting rights to major sporting events (particularly those involving soccer) are limited to subscription-based channels such as MNET and SuperSport, which require a paid subscription to view. However, these provide relatively good access for sports enthusiasts who can afford the service. The accessibility of sports programs offered through platforms such as YouTube also depends on the user’s geographical location. For example, channels such as ESPN provide limited coverage of sporting events due to broadcasting rights in different regions worldwide and copyright laws limiting the online distribution of sports programs outside their original territories.
To examine how affordability affects accessibility, we used several websites (such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo) to search for specific sports broadcast channels in different countries, such as South Africa and Spain. We then used the pricing information from each website to conclude that overall access is excellent in these countries due to the availability of paid television subscriptions and live stream programs. However, they need more geographical access due to specific copyright laws that limit the rights of these websites. Google also limits some results due to their policy against spam sites and false advertisements, which, if not heeded, could result in a closing or decrease in viewership.
