The changing course of media-sport complex in Taiwan under the COVID-19: The case of CPBL

Abstract

<p>2020年3至5月COVID-19造成運動賽事荒，媒體運動複合體、運動組織與廣告主之間連結關係轉弱，有價運動閱聽人重要性大幅提升。運動組織願意配合媒體運動複合體被動改變，目的一是維持有價運動閱聽人（或球迷），目的二是保有轉播權利金。媒體運動複合體大膽嘗試各式節目，以維持有價運動閱聽人收視慣習。研究更發現在疫情期間，有價運動閱聽人結構改變、影響力增強，維持有價運動閱聽人收視慣習，變成媒體運動複合體當下重點。中華職棒是當時疫情下唯一開打的職業體育組織，進而發展出英語轉播賽事，但其目標卻是宣傳品牌國際知名度而非增加海外有價閱聽人。Twitter的資料分析顯示英語轉播未獲得國外運動閱聽人青睞，這也是2021年中職不再進行英語轉播的主因。</p> <p> </p><p>Under COVID-19 from March to May 2020, the shortage of sports games weakened the links among media-sports complexes, sports organizations, and advertisers. The profitable audience thus became significantly more important. Sports organizations followed the changes initiated by media-sports complexes for two purposes. First, they want to maintain their profitable audience (or fans). Second, they want to continue earning broadcasting royalties. The media-sports complexes experimented boldly with a variety of programs to maintain the viewing habits of the profitable audience. The study also found that during the pandemic, there was a structural change in the profitable audience, and the audience became more influential. Thus, maintaining the viewing habits of the profitable audience became the current focus of media-sports complexes. Under the epidemic, CPBL was the only professional sports league in the world that was still running its regular season. In addition, CPBL even created its English-language broadcast. However, the goal of the English-language broadcast was to promote the international brand recognition rather than to attract more oversea viewers to become its profitable audience. Twitter data analysis showed that the English-language broadcast did not gain popularity among its foreign audience. This was the main reason why English broadcasting was discontinued in 2021.</p> <p> </p>