*Commercialisation and media coverage Typeit

In the 21st century, sport has grown substantially as a business and is often treated as a commodity, attracting businesspeople to invest their millions into generating financial profit. This promotion of sport as something which can be bought, utilised and sold is known as , which is closely aligned with the increases in media, technology, sponsorship and advertising over the last few decades.

Factors leading to the commercialisation of contemporary physical activity and sport:

•  has been a major part of sport since early in the 20th century, when developments in travel meant that it was not unusual for attendances at top-flight football matches to average around 60,000. The public interest in sports is growing even today, with travel becoming ever more accessible and affordable, but advances in technology such as satellite television have enabled spectators to watch from afar. It is these advances that have contributed to the growing commercial aspect of sport, as with television coverage comes subscriptions to the various broadcasting companies that have rights to show different sports and competitions.
• Synonymous with the increase in public interest is an increase in interest. This is evident in the number of dedicated outlets that contribute to sporting discussion, such as television channels, Twitter accounts, radio stations, YouTube channels, and various podcasts. 
• The concept of  (i.e. performers being paid to play) was initially introduced in post-industrial times through broken-time payments, which compensated workers for the half-day of work they would miss on Saturdays by participating in sport. Since then, the term has been synonymous with highly skilled performers in a sport, who earn more money the greater their talent. The exponential rise in performers' salaries in recent years has been greatly facilitated by commercialisation, due to the increases in the revenue of sporting bodies. 
• Advertising and sponsorship are quintessential aspects of commercialisation. They are unavoidable in modern-day sport and many organisations rely heavily on both as a significant source of income. Most sporting organisations will have sports marketing employees who use  to attract customers, whether that be to generate ticket sales, sell merchandise, or promote events.  are willing to pay good money to sporting organisations in exchange for them displaying their brand or goods to a global audience. Companies are also willing to pay to have their products or services advertised on hoardings around sporting venues and during live television breaks. Both sport and business have a strong relationship with the media, known as the , and it is this relationship that has helped accelerate commercialisation of sport.

Since the 19s, media coverage in sport has increased significantly, coinciding with the many different types that are now available across the globe. There is an increased range of sports available, e.g. there is now coverage of minority and disabled sports. Moreover, a less sexist society has resulted in more equal gender representation, with increases seen in coverage of  in sport. The power that media holds over sport is evident in the rearrangement of fixture dates and times to fit the schedule of broadcast channels. Let's take a look at the reasons for changes in media coverage through four of the most popular outlet types.

Television	The introduction of  television services such as Sky TV in 1998 has added to the number of available channels from which sport can be aired. Some channels are solely dedicated to sports, such as BT Sport, and even provide 24-hour coverage of sporting news and events. However, this comes at a cost as it usually requires a  to watch, which could prevent those who are unable to cover the financial costs from viewing certain sporting events, and possibly result in them resorting to illegal online streams. Nevertheless, free-to-air TV continues to show major live events such as the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and the rugby Six Nations Championship.  is also an option for those who only want to watch one-off events by making a single payment. Developments such as HD TV, live rewind options and in-play stats have all enhanced the sporting spectacle for viewers.
Radio	There are now radio stations that are solely dedicated to updating the public on sport, providing general discussion on topical issues, live commentary during sporting events, and post-match analysis with various pundits. Local radio stations are also available to provide live commentary and news from local sporting teams. Improvements in technology, such as DAB radio, have improved the accessibility to sports coverage.
	This format of coverage includes newspapers and magazines. The 'back page' is a common reference to sports newspapers, and is the first place where most sports enthusiasts would look when buying the paper. Sports magazines are solely dedicated to sport, offering numerous pages dedicated to a wide range of sports or a single sport in particular. It appeals to those who might not have access to radio and television and want to read about sporting topics in greater detail.
The Internet	Initially reserved for computers, the Internet is now available on phones, laptops, tablets and virtual assistance technology. It is a supplement to live TV coverage of sporting events, with many channels also being accessible online. All the latest news can be accessed with the click of a button. Twitter is a major discussion platform for sport, although views tend to be more negative than would be the case if expressed in person.