Case study research tasks
The basics
Your chosen industry: TV
Your chosen case study (i.e. text/institution etc.): Sport - BT Sport
Have you received approval for this case study from your teacher? Yes
Research and answer the following tasks on your MEST3 exam blog:
Audience
1) How has new and digital media changed the audience experience in your chosen industry?
- Audiences now have many more sources to gain up to date news on sports (through apps)
- Social media allows audience to discuss sports as its happening
- Social media allows audiences to get snippets/highlights of sports (goals or misses)
2) Has new and digital media changed the way the audience consume your chosen product?
- Yes, as they are able to view content from BT Sport through online
3) Has the size of the audience changed as a result of new and digital media?
- The audience for sport as a whole has changed significantly. For BT it could be argued that their audience has increased because of the introduction of 'BT Sport'
4) What are the positive changes new and digital media have brought to the audience of your case study? (E.g. greater choice, easier access etc.)
- I don't believe BT Sport has created greater choice because they are broadcasting games that other channels would have
- However, BT Sport does broadcast a variety of sport which a competitor like SkySport doesn't so there has been a greater choice of sport only if audiences are willing to pay for both services
5) What are the negative changes new and digital media have had on your chosen audience? (E.g. quality of product etc.)
A negative effect has been that the introduction of BT Sport has hindered ITV's revenues as it has taken the licence to broadcast the sports ITV used to. For example, football's Champions League which has mean that audiences who use freeview and don't have access to SkySports or BT sport won't be able to watch these games. This is where the issue of illegal streaming develops as people attempt to watch sports for free
6) What about audience pleasures - have these changed as a result of new and digital media?
- Audience's pleasures haven't really changed as they still expect and experience the same things before NDM took over
- However, the development of new and digital media has allowed audiences to get a closer experience to the players through something like social media
7) What is the target audience for your chosen case study? Write a demographic/psychographic profile.
- Male dominated: 85% males probably consuming the sports on the channel
- Age varies: 6 and over. Sports in general is in most people's lives and these audiences would want to see their favourite sports which BT Sport broadcasts.
Institution
1) How has new and digital media had an impact on ownership or control in your chosen industry?
- As mentioned BT Sport has definitely had an impact on the industry because of ownership and control. We have seen ITV being eliminated from the broadcast of sporting events/matches because of the introduction of BT Sports
2) What impact has new and digital media had on ownership in your chosen case study?
- It has meant that audiences now have to pay to watch their favourite sports which they wouldn't have had to previously. This would increase the amount of people avoiding the monthly payments for SkySport/BT sport services as they would want to continue illegally streaming games
3) How has new and digital media changed the way institutions produce texts?
- The text is still produced in a fairly similar way because they are broadcast on television as always but the ways sport can be streamed has changed; for example sport institutions broadcast sport on different media platforms like through their apps which can be accessed on smartphone, tablet devices
- Most things in the media today are usually linked with social media. These sport institutions have recently been promoting the 'memes' online in their coverage of sport
4) How has new and digital media changed the way institutions distribute their product?
- Sport institutions have changed the way they distribute their product for example: these institutions have used the internet to change the way they broadcast their sport. BT Sport allows audiences to watch The Champions League final on YouTube for free.
5) How might new and digital media threaten your chosen industry?
- New and digital media is already negatively effecting BT Sport and other sport broadcasting institutions across the World. This is because of illegal streaming of sport which is free.
6) How has new and digital media changed the way your chosen industry is regulated?
- The industry is facing issues of audiences being able to view live sport for free. This has been a major issue for all streaming services as people have created websites which contain links to movies, shows or live sport. Its free but the quality is poor which still hasn't persuaded people to pay monthly for the use of BT Sport, Sky Sports, Sky Movies, Netflix etc.
- BT Sport has an app for all audiences to download. But its those who have signed up with the institution that can use all the features of the app. For example, customers who are signed up with BT Sport would be able to watch highlights of a events from a live football match (a goal or a missed chance)
UGC
1) What examples of user-generated content can you find in your case study?
- Audiences are using their own digital devices to produce content from the live sport they watch. For instance, some people would record a goal from their television and post it on social media for others to see. This is free for the people recording the goal and for the audiences watching it which would mean that social media is indirectly competing with the BT Sport app as they both are pleasuring the same target market with the same content. Social media aren't doing anything about it which means that they could see this a possible benefit for them as audiences may prefer to watch the highlights on their app where audiences can interact unlike the BT Sport or Sky Sports app
- Snapchat - decided to operate in the sport industry by gaining the rights to broadcast live sport in 'Our Story'. This is where audiences would record events from a sports match and snapchat could use it to post on 'Our Story' which would have a compilation of events from different perspectives
2) How has UGC changed things for audiences or institutions in your chosen case study?
- Audiences are using their own digital devices to produce content from the live sport they watch. For instance, some people would record a goal from their television and post it on social media for others to see. This is free for the people recording the goal and for the audiences watching it which would mean that social media is indirectly competing with the BT Sport app as they both are pleasuring the same target market with the same content. Social media aren't doing anything about it which means that they could see this a possible benefit for them as audiences may prefer to watch the highlights on their app where audiences can interact unlike the BT Sport or Sky Sports app
- Snapchat - decided to operate in the sport industry by gaining the rights to broadcast live sport in 'Our Story'. This is where audiences would record events from a sports match and snapchat could use it to post on 'Our Story' which would have a compilation of events from different perspectives
Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony
1) What would be a Marxist perspective of the impact of new and digital media on your chosen case study?
- A Marxist would believe that the sport institutions like BT Sport still have control over audiences because we still rely on them for content
- They would be seen as more trustworthy than audiences on social media. For example, audiences would be more incline to believing the transfer rumours from BT Sport than ordinary audiences online who don't have anywhere near the amount of resources an institution like BT Sport has
2) How would a pluralist view the impact of new and digital media in your chosen industry?
- A pluralist would argue that audiences have been given more control as they have more to choose from in terms of where they gain information about the sports they are watching. So audiences don't rely on sports institutions for news as they can find out the latest rumours on social media. This conforms to Galtung and Ruge's theory of news values with the concept of immediacy as audience want constant up dates.
3) Are there any examples of hegemony in your chosen industry or case study?
Globalisation
1) How has globalisation impacted on your chosen industry or case study?
- Yes it has because BT Sport has increased the amount of sports they broadcast. It has expanded into to the American market with the rights they have gained to broadcast the NBA (basketball)
2) In your opinion, has globalisation had a positive or negative impact on your chosen industry and case study? Why?
3) Can you find examples of cultural imperialism in your case study or industry? (The 'Americanisation' of the world)
Social media
1) How has your industry or case study used social media to promote its products?
2) Provide examples of how your case study has used social media and explain the impact this would have on audiences.
3) Is social media an opportunity or a threat to your industry and case study?
Statistics
1) What statistics can you find to illustrate the impact new and digital media has had on your industry or case study? For example, in news, the UK newspaper industry sold more than 12m copies a day in 2001 but in 2014 it was below 7m.
- 60% of smartphone users use their phone when watching the television
- 65% of tablet users use their phones when watching the television
- 2003: over 500 UK programmes generated +10 million viewers
- 5% were sports programs
- 2015: 30 programmes had +10 million viewers
- 25% were sport programs
2) Looking at these statistics, what impact has new/digital media had on institutions in your chosen industry?
- TV broadcast is in decline as the viewing numbers are significantly decreasing
- Audiences are more interested in using their pocket/portable devices for streaming/watching shows and sports
- BT and other sport institutions have adapted to cater for audiences
- Therefore audiences are thought to be reliant upon these institutions for the latest information and most trustworthy information
3) What has the impact been for audiences? These may be positive and negative.
- The impact has been positive for audiences as their choices for watching sport has varied
- Audiences can now view their favourite sports through legitimate institutions like BT Sport and SkySports
- or they could use illegal streaming sites to watch the same sports at the cost of poor quality
Theories
1) What media theories can you apply to your chosen industry and case study? Select THREE media theories and explain how they are relevant to your case study. Note: these can be ANY of the theories we have learned over the whole of Year 12 and 13.
Issues/debates
1) What media issues and debates can you apply to your chosen industry and case study? Select THREE media issues/debates and explain how they are relevant to your case study.
- One major issue is illegal streaming. It has allowed the audience avoid monthly payments
- User generated content - audiences are capable of recording games as they happen and post it on social media. This is usually a short clip of an evento in a game like a goal. This would allow audiences to watch highlights of games on social media for free instead of paying for BT Sports where they show highlights
- BT Sport then encourage this behaviour by using their social media accounts to post similar events so audiences don't feel the need to pay the monthly fee for what BT SPORT are already broadcasting online for free
Wider examples and secondary texts
1) What other texts or institutions are also relevant to your case study? What would be good secondary texts or examples to use to support the findings of your independent case study?
Statistics
Notes and quotes
Media factsheet
Introduction
‘In recent years, it has become widely accepted that
audiences for live broadcast TV are in permanent decline...’
‘… The increased popularity and ubiquity of SKY+, DVD, video
on demand, internet streaming, BBC’s iPlayer, amongst other new media and
technological developments, has enabled audiences to consume across many
institutions and platforms.’
‘These platforms also offer audiences to “time shift” their
viewing and construct their own TV schedule.’
‘Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are having
a big impact on the way audiences consume and relate to television programmes,
especially in the reality TV genre.’
Primary vs Secondary vs Tertiary consumption:
·
‘Primary consumption can be said to occur when
the audience gives a media text their undivided and total attention’ (getting absorbed into a good book or film)
·
‘Secondary consumption is characterised by an
audience that is paying some attention to a text but is not giving it their
full attention’ (Perhaps because they are
engaged in another activity) – using a phone
·
‘Tertiary consumption occurs when an audience
consumes a text perhaps without even consciously engaging with it; being
exposed to an in-store radio station while out shopping or driving past a
billboard which barely registers with the viewer’
Time shifting
‘Time shifting is the idea that people can choose to watch a
TV show at a time of their choosing, rather than at the time dictated by the TV
schedule.’
·
‘1978: first VCR goes on sale in UK (time shift
began here)’
·
‘2000: TiVo allowed viewers to record shows (SKY
took over 2002)’
·
‘2007: BBC iPlayer launched’
·
‘2012: Netflix launches in the UK’
·
‘2012: However, according to figures from OFCOM
90% of TV is viewed live as it is being broadcast’
TV – a Social Experience
‘Figures tell us that 60% of smartphone owners and 65% of
tablet computer owners use their devices while watching TV’
‘40% of all Twitter traffic during peak times is about TV’ (‘clearly a very close relationship between
Twitter and television)
‘By using a hashtag (#), Twitter users can categorise their
tweets and send messages that other people that are also watching the show can
read, building a real time discussion of the show as it is broadcast’
‘Dual screening refers
to the way viewers watch both the TV screen and the screen of their phone while
tweeting about the show’
Who are SecondSync
‘SecondSync is a company providing a service analysing
Twitter discussions about TV. They provide information to broadcasters and
advertisers about what audiences are saying on Twitter about TV as well as who
is saying it’
‘The company is able to separate the viewer’s Tweeting by
demographics’
Media
magazine: painting tele editing factual TV
Andy Barker worked as
staff for the BBC for 27 years; he speaks about the development of his career
as an editor:
·
TV industry was different then with only 4
channels to choose from
·
Difficult to find work in the industry on TV as
a whole because of well-trained graduates
·