A Sociological View of the NBA and How Aggressive Media and Culture Strategies Drove the Rise of a Mega Sport [Eine soziologische Sicht auf die NBA und wie aggressive Medien- und Kulturstrategien den Aufstieg eines Megasports vorantrieben]

Tickell, Samuel

Abstract

The NBA has become a global mega-sport with fans turning in, in their millions to follow the world’s best basketball players. The sport has enjoyed significant cultural legitimacy and financial spoils, helped along by its aggressive broadcast strategy. Through player rivalries, the sport has grown beyond the television set to become a multi-billion dollar industry with shoes and fashion driving street culture around the world. However, it was not always the case. The chapter tracks the sociology of the NBA’s rise through media sport lenses, understanding the influence of the wider entertainment industries, television, and social media. Ultimately it seeks to understand how the NBA used and continues to adapt to different communication technologies and other societal challenges to meet the future needs for media-driven financialization.