MEDIA LOGIC AND THE PREMIER LEAGUE

Mediatization of sport implies the adoption of media’s modus operandi, the infiltration of media logic into sport realm. The paper discusses whether sport has become a form of “media theater” and sport clubs “media entertainment companies”. I analyze the influence of four constituents of media logic on the case of Premier League of England. Economic logic of the media assumes Premier League has to adapt to a different model, that shifts priority from stadium and merchandise revenue to TV rights and digital fan engagement. Symbolic logic of the media adapts entertainment media formats to integrate sport into culture industry. Fan communitization is now primarily digital, and techno-logic of the media implements new technologies in all spheres of sport phenomena, from training to match oversite and, finally, datafication of both players and consumers. Social media logic changes the whole structure of fans, from local and national to global and multicultural.