GLOBAL SPORTS REPORTING

Have you ever wondered how much media coverage your favorite sports team receives outside of their home market?  Lets take it a step further, how much media coverage does your favorite sport receive outside of their home country?  I hate to play the role of "Paul the Pessimist" but do not be surprised if you favorite sport does not receive any media coverage outside of their home country .

I evaluated the Montreal Gazette and the San Francisco Chronicle. These are two newspapers that have comparable circulation statistics and are both located in large metropolitan areas.  I lived in Montreal for four years and played professional football during those years so I am acquainted with the sports environment.  I was born in the Bay Area and currently reside here, so I read the newspaper periodically.  The were some similarities between the newspapers such as the website design.  They both had similar layouts and font style.  The San Francisco Chronicle and the Montreal Gazette both used old english with the display for their name.  I feel this is where the similarities begin and end in my opinion.

When you evaluate the content of both newspapers you begin to notice the glaring differences between the two publications.  The Gazette has several articles on the website that are discussing the plane crash in Russia in which an entire hockey team lost their lives, this was a extremely tragic event that took place. Unfortunately in the eyes of the sports editors at the San Francisco Chronicle, this story is no longer news worthy as of Sunday September 11, 2011.  On Sunday September 11, 2011, the Gazette's feature stories are a Canadian Football League story, English Premier League Soccer, and Tennis.  There are also blogs on topics such as formula 1 racing, soccer, NHL, and Golf!  Sunday is opening day of the NFL Season!  How is there not a blogger blogging about opening day in the NFL?!! Especially when this was an off-season in which there was a NFL strike.  

The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper has article that are re-capping the college football scores from saturday, feature articles on the upcoming NFL games,  and MLB content.  On the SF Chronicles sports home page, 95% of the articles are football related.  There is no reference to NHL, Soccer, Tennis, or NBA for that matter.  It is football season and that is what the public wants to hear about!  I hate to say it but nobody gets excited about curling, cricket, or soccer for that matter!  We want football during football season!

The advertisements on both sites were primarily the same.  That is due to behavioral advertising.  Many of the websites place ads which are based on your previous search history.  The ads I saw on the Montreal Gazette Website were for Villanova's MBA program, textbook renter, and for Mazda car dealerships.  The San Francisco Chronicle had an ad for Mercedes Benz, Google, and a local jewelry retailer.  

The variance in the sports covered in Montreal and San Francisco are based on the needs of the readers.  Many of the citizens of Montreal are no American, and they have no interest in American rules football.  Canadians love hockey just as Americans love football.  The Gazette is an awesome paper with many great journalists however the content in the sports section simply does not meet my needs.