ABSTRACT
It is not just in stadiums that big sporting occasions pull in large crowds. More and more, big groups of TV viewers come together for live broadcasts of these occasions so that they can enjoy the experience of live sports together. In Europe, the big football contests (such as the World Cup, European Championship) have meanwhile turned into public TV events; televised football has become an event on town squares, in bars, or in arenas. So-called public viewing of live broadcasts of almost all games indicates a new phenomenon in the reception of sports-in-media: the reception does not happen on your own in front of your TV at home but in the company of smaller or larger groups in a variety of social situations.
