Sports from public and private broadcasters: Comparing Finnish television's studio coverage of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Little academic research has been conducted to quantitatively analyse and compare studio coverage of TV sports on different networks in Finland. In this comparative study, we aim to discover differences in public service broadcaster Yle’s and privately owned C More’s studio coverage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Our sample consists of studio coverage of 12 matches televised by Yle and ten by C More. To conduct a content analysis, we developed a meter for quantitatively analysing studio coverage of TV sports and classified each segment (n = 744) within the variables of our meter.

Yle took a more journalistic approach to covering the event by placing greater emphasis on political topics and controversial issues surrounding the tournament. This implies a focus on cultural and moral principles essential to public service. In contrast, C More’s coverage was fastpaced and focused more on entertainment values, with a greater emphasis on stars and personalities, reflecting commercial interests. As the competition advanced, the coverage dedicated to sociopolitical issues decreased on both networks.

Keywords: sports programmes, sports journalism, comparative research, content analysis

Full text available in Finnish

Authors

Vesa Kortelainen

vesa.v.kortelainen@student.jyu.fi.

Antti Laine

Mihály Szeróvay