11/28 Blog Entry: Victoria E. Johnson EVerything New is Old Again

Victoria E. Johnson states, "While sport provides some of the most quintessential network-era programming, it increasingly also produces and engages in a context characterized by a 'circulation of media content' that 'depends heavily on consumers' active participation' within which 'consumers are encouraged to seek out new information and make connections among dispersed media content." I find this statement to be exceptionally true, because sports are literally everywhere, whether it is via audio, video, or alerts being delivered to your desktop and mobile device. Sport programming truly does represent a symbolic and actual "Bridge" between network-era practices and post-network realities. Think of how sports are integrated through an individual's life - whether it is by video games or participating in online fantasy leagues. Furthermore, the viewing rituals are integrated into an individual's life as a social and public activity. Think about Monday Night Football (MNF)- a lot of friends want to watch it together so they may have a few people over at their house, or go to the bar for a few beers. By watching the game on TV, or even attending it live, can make a fan truly feel like part of the community. Overall, I thought this was a very well articulated article on behalf of Johnson and I do agree with mostly all of her points. The sports era via network is very powerful and shared amongst a large target audience, and I don't think this will be changing anytime soon. The target audience is just going to get better, and the sports network will only become more powerful.