From Marriage in Heaven to Lock-In? Examining Mediatization of Winter Sports by Public Service Broadcasters

Abstract

Digital disruption heavily impacts production, distribution and consumption of sport entertainment. The once symbiotic relationship between sport and linear TV faces far-reaching challenges. This applies also to the specific cooperation between niche sports and public service broadcasters (PSBs), which has evolved in Europe. In exchange for far-reaching mediatization efforts, winter sports gained considerable exposure and audience reach. The current contribution aims to provide evidence for the claim that digital disruption can put the future of winter sport as media sport at risk since the PSBs fail to attract younger audiences. In result, winter sports seem to be subject to a lock-in effect as the cooperation with the PSBs still provides several benefits while no definitive new media model for niche sports has emerged.