American Track and Field Coverage An Online Content Analysis
Location
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
Description
PURPOSE: Sports represent a quintessential component of what it means to be American. American sports are renowned as some of the very best in the world, and 38% of Americans keep up with sports regularly (Hatfield, 2024). Even for those who are not avid fans, events like the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games have become cultural events. Track and field is the number one participation sport in America (Statista, 2022). PROCEDURES: To analyze the quality of the current offerings of American track and field media, this study scored the coverage of 10 track and field meets on their quality and effectiveness of displaying the events. OUTCOME: This led to the conclusion that there is a variety of track and field coverage available, each with varying prices, quality, and scope. The plethora of platforms and events makes it difficult to navigating as a fan. IMPACT: Platforms like Peacock, FloTrack, and some YouTube videos provide good coverage, but the decentralized nature of track and field streaming makes it difficult to navigate and potentially leads to barriers of entry for would-be fans.
American Track and Field Coverage An Online Content Analysis
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
PURPOSE: Sports represent a quintessential component of what it means to be American. American sports are renowned as some of the very best in the world, and 38% of Americans keep up with sports regularly (Hatfield, 2024). Even for those who are not avid fans, events like the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games have become cultural events. Track and field is the number one participation sport in America (Statista, 2022). PROCEDURES: To analyze the quality of the current offerings of American track and field media, this study scored the coverage of 10 track and field meets on their quality and effectiveness of displaying the events. OUTCOME: This led to the conclusion that there is a variety of track and field coverage available, each with varying prices, quality, and scope. The plethora of platforms and events makes it difficult to navigating as a fan. IMPACT: Platforms like Peacock, FloTrack, and some YouTube videos provide good coverage, but the decentralized nature of track and field streaming makes it difficult to navigate and potentially leads to barriers of entry for would-be fans.