A piece in this week’s Broadcasting & Cable tackles the subject of local TV sports coverage, a topic we’ve discussed a few occasions here on LR. Sports departments are redefining their coverage, and Magid is urging clients to adopt a “zero sum” approach to sports: daily coverage fights with news stories for a slot in the rundown. But the big issue here is the fact that local TV stations have nearly lost their competitive positions with sports online. Many stations are now focusing on high school sports — a worthy pursuit — but that’s just a segment of online sports coverage that’s dominated by local newspaper websites, ESPN.com and even local blogs. As stations redefine their TV sports coverage, they must redouble their efforts online. In fact, I would argue that online sports coverage is just as important as TV sports coverage, and resources should be split accordingly. It’s that important, but you have to ask, is it already too late?
Advertisement