Every sporting league has many options on how to present games to their audience; however, there are two genres that have become standard: television and radio. Each of these mediums have certain well-established conventions which work to effectively present the games to their respective audiences. Some of these conventions are shared by both genres, such as yelling to amplify excitement, and describing the game in detail to bring it to life for those watching or listening from home. But, there are many more differences than similarities in these two genres. These differences stem from the fundamental differences between television, a primarily visual medium, and radio, an entirely auditory medium. In the National Basketball Association (NBA),
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Their commentary is unnecessary because the viewers can already see the game and they don’t require any sort of assistance in understanding it. For example, when fans attend a game there is no ongoing play-by-play commentary, they just sit and watch the players and analyze it for themselves. So, the conventions of television broadcasts are merely for aesthetic purposes, trying to enhance the viewing experience. As one way of doing this, the commentators will try to point out interesting statistics or other things the viewers might not be able to understand. For example, last season there was a very interesting game between the Warriors and the Bucks. The Warriors had won 24 games in a row, which most fans already knew going into the game; however, most people watching did not know that the Bucks have been notorious throughout NBA history for snapping very long winning streaks. Mid-game, a graphic appeared on the screen showing all the incredibly long win streaks the Bucks had snapped throughout their history. The commentators broke it down for their audience. This information was not necessary to enjoy the basketball game, but knowing it added even more tension and enjoyment to the viewing experience. In addition to these graphics, television commentators will often draw upon their own knowledge of players and coaches to tell interesting stories mid-game. For example, commentator Mike Breen is good friends with many players on the New York Knicks, so when he commentates their games he frequently talks about those players and their personalities. These conventions are common on television broadcasts of the NBA, and they are effective because they add significance to the game and therefore capture the attention of the audience even more. However, although
Their commentary is unnecessary because the viewers can already see the game and they don’t require any sort of assistance in understanding it. For example, when fans attend a game there is no ongoing play-by-play commentary, they just sit and watch the players and analyze it for themselves. So, the conventions of television broadcasts are merely for aesthetic purposes, trying to enhance the viewing experience. As one way of doing this, the commentators will try to point out interesting statistics or other things the viewers might not be able to understand. For example, last season there was a very interesting game between the Warriors and the Bucks. The Warriors had won 24 games in a row, which most fans already knew going into the game; however, most people watching did not know that the Bucks have been notorious throughout NBA history for snapping very long winning streaks. Mid-game, a graphic appeared on the screen showing all the incredibly long win streaks the Bucks had snapped throughout their history. The commentators broke it down for their audience. This information was not necessary to enjoy the basketball game, but knowing it added even more tension and enjoyment to the viewing experience. In addition to these graphics, television commentators will often draw upon their own knowledge of players and coaches to tell interesting stories mid-game. For example, commentator Mike Breen is good friends with many players on the New York Knicks, so when he commentates their games he frequently talks about those players and their personalities. These conventions are common on television broadcasts of the NBA, and they are effective because they add significance to the game and therefore capture the attention of the audience even more. However, although