Social Media’s Positive Impact On NBA Viewership
When it comes to seeing highlights and hearing news about the NBA’s biggest stars, there’s no better place to look than on social media. With platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, there is no shortage of content right at the fans’ fingertips. The content and the way in which it’s consumed varies amongst the different platforms. With Facebook, fans can now view live games more easily than perhaps watching it through a cable network. Instagram provides an easy way to view all the highlights and news fans want to see; it also gives the fans a way of seeing a little bit of what goes on in their favorite athletes’ lives through their personal accounts. Twitter has become a place where fans, journalists, and athletes can all interact through videos, written tweets, and images. Additionally, social media has enabled NBA players and other NBA personalities to share their views on certain political or social issues in America. All these platforms have given journalists the extra responsibility of posting either pictures, videos, or tweets, and have given fans so much more to consume. Due to the increased accessibility, volume, and quality of personalized content presented on various platforms, social media has enhanced the way that fans and athletes consume and appreciate the NBA and the sport of basketball.
While viewing NBA games has largely remained the same as it was before the advent of smartphones and social media, Facebook has provided a way for NBA fans to watch its D-League. The NBA’s minor league team, the D-League, is available to watch on Facebook. In contrast to traditional paid cable channels, signing up for Facebook doesn’t require any payment; since Facebook is free to use (as long as one has access to the internet) NBA D-League games are much easier to watch for those that can’t or won’t pay for cable channels that cover such games.
In addition to the monetary aspect of viewing games on Facebook, it is simply much more accessible due to its ability to be streamed on multiple devices (smartphone, tablet, laptop), whereas certain cable channels are only available through a TV. D-League Broadcaster, Varun Raghupathi said, “Some social media skews younger, some skews older. But everybody has Facebook.” NBA D-League games are now more accessible to all of its fans with Facebook streaming. However, streaming through Facebook is just one small aspect in which social media has influenced sports coverage today.
Social Media has given journalists more responsibilities than they had before its introduction into the sports world. Coverage of the NBA used to mainly consist of writing articles summarizing outcomes of games as well as other interesting stories pertaining to either the teams or members in or around the team. However, a lot of what was considered news is very easily accessible with game scores on apps, and actual footage of the games on apps such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. This has enabled journalists to focus more on interesting stories in the NBA. But social media has also required that these journalists pay close attention to their own accounts and the accounts of other journalists and people around the sport.
The necessity to be on top of news stories as soon as they come out is a new responsibility that these journalists have. When describing this responsibility, author of “How Social Media has Changed the World of Sports Journalism,” Heather Rule says, “Sure, reporters will still cover the story. They’ll just share the main piece of new information via 140 characters on Twitter.” Here the tweet is used as the instant source of information while the article published after provides more detail on whatever was written in the tweet. The tweet and the article work together to give the fans what they want, when they want it, and more information later to keep them interested. While it may be an extra burden for journalists, NBA fans today love the amount of information and media they consume on the various platforms. One big benefit to one like Instagram, is its way to give insight into their idols’ lives.
Personal Instagram accounts have given fans a way of seeing a little bit of what their favorite athletes are into. As it is true with all people, some athletes are more reserved than others, and thus different athletes post different content on their personal accounts. The ability to discern whether or not an athlete is reserved through his Instagram account is perhaps more information about his life than was available before the app was invented. NBA players that post more often and seem to be more outgoing are able to express at least some of their personality through what they post. The images, captions, and comments on the players’ accounts give fans some insight into what kind of person their favorite athlete may be, or how they feel at any given moment. Just a few days ago, Lakers Forward, Channing Frye took to his Instagram account to post a picture from the film The Big Lebowski, to describe how he feels about the offseason.
Here, the fans can see that Channing likes this movie, which the fans may like as well. But even if the fans don’t like the movie, this type of post makes Frye seem more relatable and gives insight into his interests and personality beyond the basketball court.
Additionally, we can see when athletes are upset or bothered by what is going on. For example, when the Cavaliers were struggling this season, LeBron took to Instagram and posted a picture of a clenched fist from the cartoon “Arthur” with the caption “Mood…,” indicating that his mood was either upset or angry.
In addition to just knowing what the NBA player might feel at a given moment, these platforms have enabled the players to express their views on social issues.
The NBA’s use of various social media platforms has enabled its athletes to be very vocal about social issues that they are passionate about. Whenever any political or social event occurs, the athletes and coaches are always quick to share their views on the topic. Some are more outspoken than others are, but for the ones that do share their opinion frequently, the NBA uses Instagram and other platforms to publicize the athlete’s or coach’s view. Recently, Fox News host Laura Ingraham told LeBron James and Kevin Durant to “shut up and dribble” in response to a video where the players voiced their opinions on President Trump. After hearing this seemingly racist rant directed towards him, James was asked to respond to the comments at the NBA’s All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.
Here, the NBA (through its nbatv account) is using Instagram as a platform where LeBron’s voice can be heard on this issue. The NBA uses social media to share its views and its athletes’ views because they know how they can impact their fans. NBA social media accounts can, “reach people of different demographics, cultures, and places” due to the NBA being the most popular sport on social media. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook give NBA fans the opportunity to hear what their favorite athletes and coaches have to say about issues that can be very important in their lives. But perhaps the most important and unique part of social media in sports is its ability to create a community around it.
The gathering of fans, athletes, and journalists around the NBA on Twitter has created a virtual community. Before social media, the only way fans could relate to each other while a game was live was if they were in the same place and enjoying the game together. With social media, fans, athletes, and journalists can all relate to the same game at the same time through Twitter. Video clips of games are posted where all three parties can view and comment together. According to the NBA, “at least 70 percent of NBA players are on Twitter.” The vast majority of athletes in basketball are able to interact with the fans and various journalists on Twitter, and NBA fans had never experienced such a close connection before social media’s rise. Instead of the fans and journalists being observers of the game, they are now active participants in the way they react on Twitter. And, the players themselves are able to communicate with the fans and media now more than ever before.
While some may see social media as a negative influence on society, it has drastically enhanced the way the NBA is viewed and enjoyed. It has given fans more access to games, and athletes a way to express themselves. It has also provided journalists and fans a better way to connect to athletes. Most importantly, social media has enabled fans to experience so much more of the NBA than ever before. The NBA has completely shifted away from the traditional news coverage format and has fully immersed all interested parties in the game through social media.
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