Humans have an affinity when it comes to sports. Around the world, there is no human culture that doesn’t consume sports in one form or another. Our modern age has made sports viewing even more convenient, not to mention faster. So let’s turn back time and explore the many technological leaps that transformed sports broadcasting and completely changed it into what it is today.
- Radio
No other form of media has as much reach and diversity as radio offers to fans during its time. From high school basketball to live updates of 먹튀검증 (Black ink), there was a constant stream of sports updates that fans of the sport greedily soaked up. And with over 13,000 radio stations in the U.S alone, there is virtually no limit to sports news.
Radio also offers a different kind of ability that its media contemporary can’t match. It’s able to connect with audiences that print media simply cannot. Even TV has had a hard time trying to form a bond with viewers. This is because radio sports commentators were skilled at painting a vivid picture in the minds of its listeners.
- Television
The first-ever television broadcast of a sporting event was done by a radio station called NBC as they tried to break into the fledgling television market. The broadcast was of a baseball game between Columbia University and Princeton University. But with only 400 television sets in the US at that time, only very few got to witness the momentous occasion.
At that time, the camera that was used to televise the game was nothing like the ones we use now. Only one camera was used that had to pan back and forth between the catcher and the pitcher.
- Color in TV
Through television, it made sporting events closer and more personal. From football to cheerleading competition, anyone can tune in to the right channel and catch a live telecast of their favorite sports event. The advent of color television made things even better. Now, not only is it easier for fans to differentiate between teams, there is even more clarity when it comes to the gameplay.
- Instant Replay
Ever since the instant replay was invented by Canadian George Retzlaff, sports broadcasting was never the same again. Back then instant replay required a 30 second prep time in order for footage to be re-lived so only attempts at goals were covered. A CBS employee took it further by using a VCR as a means of playback which earned him the title of the inventor of instant replay. Instant replay was first used at the annual Navy-Army skirmish to great success.
- Slo-mo
Not long after the invention of instant replay, slo-mo started making its mark in sports broadcasting. In 1956 ABC developed a recorder that is able to retrieve 30-second replays within 4 seconds. The new innovation also allowed for three different slow-motion speeds and it could even freeze frames. The technology started to make its way to other networks and eventually became a mainstay when it comes to sports broadcasting around the world.