The sports media industry is no longer based just on television broadcasts. The Internet is becoming an important platform for broadcasting live and recorded games. Taken even further, mobile platforms are also used widely to show amateur and professional sports worldwide. Watching live games that are shown on websites requires a reliable Internet connection. Surely, sports fans can enjoy games by connecting to a Wi-Fi network at work or in a public place. However, it becomes nearly impossible to stream Internet-based sports broadcasts by using mobile data. Smartphones might quickly deplete several gigabytes of data just by streaming video clips for less than an hour.
Surely, there is a way to minimise mobile data usage while following live sports games. Social media is used effectively to provide real-time updates about scores, highlights and other interesting occurrences. In a sense, this online platform is somewhat similar to radio play-by-play commentary. About every minute, a social media page that covers a particular sports game or event is updated. The updates feature much more than just numerical data that reflects scores and statistics. There might be descriptions of players’ actions and the overall atmosphere. Images are used to enhance play-by-play updates on social media. Throughout the game or event, editors post actual high-quality photos of the action. Downloading such pictures doesn’t require much mobile data usage for sports fans who use smartphones.
Major sports teams have their own social media profile pages that deliver frequent updates for fans. Such online platforms are also used to release official statements regarding the players, coaching staff and other important figures. The posts often include external links to official press conferences featuring star athletes and club owners.
Social media is a platform that essentially provides convenient shortcuts for delivering important information to sports fans. Sports channels use this medium to keep loyal TV audience updated. For example, channels can post official listings of games that will be shown live on TV. Fans who use social networks surely appreciate simple reminders about upcoming events that will be televised.
Video highlights of sports games and events can also be posted on social media outlets. Short clips usually feature the most important moments that sports fans want to see. Streaming such video content doesn’t require sports fans to burn up their limited mobile data plans. Additionally, the quality of the clips can be adjusted in order to minimise data usage. When streaming highlights on smartphones, sports fans might choose between high definition such as 720p or standard quality like 420 pixels.
Prominent figures in the sports media industry often utilise social networks to connect with fans and other business partners. A sports broadcasting executive like Jed Drake and other CEOs are examples of businessmen who use social media for personal and professional reasons. Building a loyal base of followers is highly desirable for high-level executives in sports broadcasting. Ordinary sports fans are always interested in hearing any news about their favourite sports channels and other news media outlets. For instance, a CEO might post about special extended coverage for major events like the World Cup, World Series, Super Bowl or the U.S. Open Tennis championships. Each year, it seems that broadcasting expands significantly for such important sports competitions that are watched worldwide.