How do the media and commercial interests shape elite sport and the behaviour of those involved?
The relationship between sport and the media, the influence of commercialisation and sponsorship on elite sport, and the positive and negative effects on the performer, the sport, the spectator and the sponsor.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level PE sport and society on commercialisation and the media, covering the relationship between sport and the media, the golden triangle, and the positive and negative effects on performers, sports, spectators and sponsors.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to explain the relationship between sport and the media, the influence of commercialisation and sponsorship on elite sport, and evaluate the positive and negative effects on each stakeholder: the performer, the sport, the spectator and the sponsor.
Sport and the media
The media (television, the internet, social media, radio and print) gives sport its exposure and audience. Television in particular pays large sums for broadcasting rights, which fund elite sport and attract sponsors. In return, the media gains content that draws large audiences and advertising revenue, so the two are mutually dependent.
The forms of media each affect sport differently. Free-to-air television maximises audience and exposure but pays less; subscription and pay-per-view television pays far more but restricts access behind a paywall. Digital and social media let sports, clubs and athletes reach and interact with fans directly, build personal brands and open new revenue streams, while also exposing performers to scrutiny and abuse. Print and radio retain a role in analysis and reach. The shift of major events towards subscription broadcasting is a recurring evaluation point: it brings sport more money but reduces the free access that builds mass participation and a wide fan base.
The golden triangle and commercialisation
Effects on the stakeholders
The media also decides which sports flourish: televised, marketable sports attract sponsorship and money, while minority sports struggle for coverage and funding, widening inequalities between sports.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20204 marksExplain the positive and negative effects of commercialisation on a sport and on its spectators.Show worked answer →
AO1/AO2 across two stakeholders. Sport, positives: increased income funds professionalism, facilities and grassroots development and raises the global profile. Sport, negatives: rules, formats and fixture timings are altered to suit broadcasters (advert breaks, rescheduled starts), and money concentrates on already popular sports while minority sports lose out. Spectator, positives: wider access through broadcasting, high-quality coverage and replays. Spectator, negatives: key events moving behind paywalls, rising ticket prices, and inconvenient kick-off times set for television audiences. Reward at least one developed positive and one developed negative for each stakeholder, applied rather than listed.
AQA 20184 marksExplain how the media influences which sports become popular and well funded, and the consequences for minority sports.Show worked answer →
AO2 application. The media, especially television, chooses to broadcast sports that attract large audiences. High viewing figures make broadcasting rights valuable, which attracts sponsors and brings money into those sports, funding professionalism, facilities and prize money and raising their profile, which attracts still more viewers in a reinforcing cycle. Minority sports that are rarely televised receive little exposure, so they attract few sponsors and little funding, struggle to develop or pay performers, and remain low profile, widening the gap between sports. Reward the reinforcing-cycle explanation and the explicit negative consequence for under-exposed minority sports.
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA A-level Physical Education (7582) specification — AQA (2016)