The Media Sport Podcast Series

Episode 24 – Robin Kietlinski: Women, Gender and Sport in Japan

The Series is back in 2017 with a fascinating discussion about the relationship between women, gender and sport in Japan. I am joined by Robin Kietlinski, the author of 'Japanese Women and Sport: Beyond Baseball and Sumo'. We discuss the history of women's sport, the challenges of linguistic and cultural translation, and the significance of the upcoming 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo.

Episode 23 – Jimmy Sanderson: The Changing Social Media Landscape and Youth Sports

In the final episode of 2016, Jimmy Sanderson (@Jimmy_Sanderson) from Arizona State University outlines the changing features of the social media landscape. We discuss the rise of Snapchat, Twitter and its discontents, and the pressing need to examine family communication in the context of sports. We also speak about the spectacle of the Little League World Series and what it says about the state of youth sports.

Episode 22 – T.L. Taylor: The Rise and Significance of eSports

Speaking via Skype, leading games studies scholar, T.L. Taylor (@ybika) from MIT Game Lab, explains why eSports matter in terms of social inclusion (the AnyKey Initiative – www.anykey.org/), fandom, and the rise of live streaming. We also discuss the history of eSports and their complicated relationship with other types of sporting competition.

Episode 21 – Mark Andrejevic: Drones, Sensors and Surfing in the Digital Enclosure

In a wide-ranging discussion, leading digital media scholar and keen surfer, Mark Andrejevic (@MarkAndrejevic), explains the logic of drones and their relationship to automation, sensors, data and power. We also discuss journalism, post-truth politics, the World Surf League and the appeal of surfing as a pastime.

Episode 20 – Andy Billings: Olympic Media, Nationalism and Rio 2016

Recorded in the lead-up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, this episode features a discussion with leading sport communication and Olympic media scholar, Andy Billings, from the University of Alabama. He shares his insights on the power of the Olympic Games as a television and media event, and its intersections with nationalism and race. We also discuss the relationship between sport and social change, and the growth of the fantasy sport industry in the US.   

Episode 19 – Tom Evens: Television, Media Markets and Sport in Europe

As the UEFA Euro 2016 football championships take place, Tom Evens (@EvensTom) from Ghent University in Belgium outlines the economic power of television and the effects of market liberalisation across Europe. He also shares his insights about the weakening of the public service television sector, informal media economies, and the unique features of Belgian media.

Episode 18 – Danielle Peers: The Paralympics, Critical Disability Studies and the Body

Canadian researcher, activist and athlete Danielle Peers speaks via Skype about the Paralympics, disability sport, critical disability studies, and crip and queer theory. In a discussion that ranges far and wide, we speak about ableism, art, and the politics of Paralympic disability classification systems.

Episode 17 – Colin Agur: Mobile Phone Networks, Betting and Cricket in India

Colin Agur (@colinagur) from Yale University speaks via Skype about the relationship between mobile phones, second order networks, gambling and cricket in India. We also discuss the unanticipated outcomes of mobile network development, The Great Indian Phone Book, and the Delhi rape case.

Episode 16 – A Special Hour-Long Chat with David Rowe

This episode presents a special hour-long chat with one of the world's preeminent figures in the study of sport and media. In a wide-ranging discussion, David Rowe offers his insights into the state-of-the-field, his intellectual development during the Thatcher era, Cohen's Folk Devils and Moral Panics, the sociology of sport, technophilia, and the continuing significance of the media sport cultural complex. 

Episode 15 – Ana Vimieiro: Brazilian Football, Hyper-Commodification and Digital Media

Ana Vimieiro (anavimieiro.com/) discusses far-reaching transformations in Brazilian professional football and fan media practices. Issues covered include the 2014 FIFA World Cup, politics, television coverage, female fandom, and the excitement of Inferno Alvinegro!