Basketball which is recognised both nationally and internationally has encountered some difficulties in its striving to take root in Europe compared to America.
They noted there are a lot of differences which can be attributed to the way how the media treats this particular sport.
The Media Landscape
In Europe the sports media is nearly entirely comprised of Football (Soccer). While languages now invest considerable funds into football leagues, tournaments and events leaving basketball behind as the chosen sport.
The fact that basketball has low profile means that there is little chance for regular people to come by it thus the chances of expansion for basketball are scarce.
Coverage Quality and Quantity
The nature and amount of coverage are as follows: Some leagues such as euroleague however, receive adequate media coverage while some leagues in the local leagues however are hardly given this attention.
Paucity of coverage of basketball programmes can give a wrong signal that basketball is a less favourite sport for fans, hence negating fans’ participation.
Furthermore, even when basketball is broadcasted, there is not enough sufficient detail as is given to football. People follow those sports that give them analysis, thrill, and a compelling storey.
Without such involvement in basketball coverage, the potential fans may still not be interested.
Star Power and International Influence
The international stars being featured in the NBA have helped increase basketball popularity across the continent of Europe.
But how these players are coated could be very influential in the entire issue. Show reels and media accounts can therefore engage European fans to NBA players and motivate them into practising basketball.
On the other hand, if the coverage only targets American leagues, and there is no regard for the talents in the same country, it will be a turn off to many clients.
Furthermore, top European players if they tasted success with NBA are given much more publicity than the players in local leagues.
As a result of this focus, information concerning basketball can be largely conditioned to capture the American version of basketball and not the international one.
