The world of sports has changed so dramatically over the past 30 years. From not only the sport itself but how we view and watch sports. 

 There are so many different types of media that are produced and a variety of different people that watch and indulge in the media. The media stems from newspapers and television to radio and social media. Each one of these different medias give us different types of information or view. A newspaper will give you the fixtures or breaking news, whilst social media gives you direct information from a team or an individual sports person.  

“I think media has had a huge effect on sports and it will continue in that direction- sports wouldn’t be in the place they are today without it. Media is where we learn everything about sports, whether it’s signing, transfer, results etc., it’s the first place it’s shared and it’s the first-place people look. Compared to how it used to be when you had to wait for the paper the next day or be at the game”- Caitlyn Day, Journalism student at Sheffield university  

The media is shown in so many ways, and it is used so differently, to spread the opinion of others. However, with this it comes with a few backlashes. The media is such a harsh part of sport. The hate that comes with being a sportsman, or a specific team can be very brutal at times. With it being such a big part now of being an athlete, one wrong game or mistake could lead to a lot of unnecessary hate. Now one could say they signed up to this with people such a big athlete, in my opinion that is a very pessimistic way of looking at, you favourtie footballer or formula 1 driver are still humans, they shouldn't be subjected to hate for doing what they love. 

Now don’t get me wrong, the media has also had a very good impact on sports.  

“The media gives every fan the opportunity to give their opinion and to get involved with sports. I’ve personally loved seeing how many women are getting involved in sports media and journalism and i think it’s because there's such a good community online”- Caitlyn Day, Journalism student at Sheffield university 

The community I have also seen online is beautiful, seeing people come together because they share a common love for a player, or a sport is a sight to behold. Not only does it bring you into a community, but it also brings you closer to athletes, seeing an athlete's life beyond their occupation gives them a sort of realism like you know them as a person not just an athlete. 

The new fans that get brought in because of the media increase not only the views of the sport, but also how the sport is shown, where it is shown and the more it is talked about. A great example of this is the increase of fans since the creation of the docuseries “drive to survive”. 

“When you look at F1, we’ve seen a huge increase in the past years because of ‘drive to survive’. It's a great way to push a sport on a brand-new audience and it brings in so many new fans- which is vital for sports to grow”- Caitlyn Day, Journalism student at Sheffield university 

Whether you think the media is bad and its useless, the community it has created is beyond amazing and it will continue to be so.