Sports broadcasting is a big deal in modern times, but things were a lot different in the past. The history of sports broadcasting is quite interesting partially due to its humble beginnings. If you’re interested in the topic of sports broadcasting, then it’d be good for you to learn a bit about how things started out. Read on to get information about the history of sports broadcasting.
The Very First Sports Broadcast
The very first sports broadcast is said to have taken place in 1911 in Lawrence, Kansas. During an evening in 1911, one thousand individuals gathered to watch a reproduction of a football game between Kansas and Missouri. The game was being played live in Missouri, but Western Union set up a telegraph wire to get information about each play. After each play, people would announce what happened and map it out using a model of a football field.
Radio Sports Broadcasts
Radio sports broadcasts helped to popularize the concept of sports broadcasting. On April 11, 1921, the very first voice sports broadcast took place. It was a live radio broadcast of a 10-round boxing match, and the success of this would lead to more sports broadcasts happening. You would hear baseball games being broadcast over the radio, and eventually, all sorts of sports would be broadcast over the radio for all to enjoy.
Live Television Sports Broadcasts
You will find that the first live broadcast of sports took place in Germany during the 1936 Olympic Games. This was during the time of the Nazis and is the famous Olympic Games where Jesse Owens won many gold medals for America. The first live television sports broadcasts in America didn’t take place until May 17, 1939. The first broadcast was of a college baseball game between the Columbia Lions and the Princeton Tigers, and it was broadcast by NBC.
Over time, sports broadcasting would become incredibly popular on television. You’d find all sorts of sports being broadcast on networks during the early days of television. Everything from local sports to professional wrestling matches would be seen on TV. It paved the way for how crucial sports broadcasting would become to the television industry overall.