ABSTRACT

In terms of the television message, the distance between dancing and sport is not great: the difference lies mainly between the signifiers. The signifieds are located in the same cultural area, in that both involve the ritualization and evaluation of social behaviour. A typical television sports programme is Match of the Day, which consists of recorded highlights of one or two of the afternoon’s football games, presented from the studio by the expert, Jimmy Hill. The recordings are completed by interviews with players and/or managers.