Variability and New Media’s Effect on the Sports Market
Variability in the new media world incorporates constant changes whether it is with websites, video games, or other media outlets. In a sense nearly everything in new media is constantly changing with the introduction of new ideas, designs, and view points. One website that I often frequent is a great example of variability, this website is espn.com. ESPN.com is constantly changing and evolving with the even faster changes in the sports world. This website keeps up-to-date with countless amounts of sports information along with news, scores, and highlights from such sports as baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and golf. Variability is not only extremely common on this website, it is also very important. For espn.com to keep up with the ever changing sports world, variability is a necessary and priceless new media tool. With the evolution of new media sports fans are able to access more and more information through websites like espn.com keeping track of their favorite players and teams without leaving their computer. The evolution of new media and variability provide all sports fans with in depth information at their fingertips. The largest example of variability at espn.com is the constantly updating scores from the various sports the website covers. These scores are conveyed in many different ways through automatic updating scoreboards, ESPN radio, and video highlights. The website makes extensive use of variability in getting across sports scores in numerous ways in order to provide the viewer with ample information and entertainment. ESPN.com allows the user to acquire information out of the database along with exploring the different areas of the site. There are daily articles from human writers which can be accessed, along with articles from weeks and months prior that are kept in the digital archives. This relates closely to modularity as these articles can be taken out of the archives and read digitally without disrupting the flow of the site itself. These new media abilities have progressed espn.com into a quick and reliable source for sports, replacing sports fans’ reliance on the newspaper and ten o’clock news. The progression of espn.com has led it to become the biggest source of sports news around. Gone are the days where people had to look to the daily paper for information on game scores and times; now up to the second score updates and player stats are viewable by anyone with an internet connection. New media has truly evolved the sports world and ESPN into more than just a T.V. station. Now it is possible to watch live sporting events through the internet with streaming video straight from the game, providing viewers with out of market games they would not be able to see on cable T.V. Replays from the show Sportscenter on the ESPN channel are also available to see highlights from games. Fans can also meet their favorite athletes virtually through online chats with these players allowing for personal interaction between fans and players. Through the development of new media, ESPN.com has revolutionized sports information and brings all sports fans closer to the game whether it’s through stats, videos, or interaction with their favorite players. Variability and the evolution of new media have given sports fans everywhere the ability to get closer to their favorite sport more than ever before. Over the last few years ESPN.com has emerged as the number one sports website, and is an excellent example of new media accomplishing what old media couldn’t. New Media has tapped into American’s increasing desire to gain more knowledge, without having to expend too much effort. ESPN.com’s emergence on the sports scene has broadened the impact of sports on both the hardcore fan and casual observer bringing tons of sports information and entertainment quickly and easily into the computer. 
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