ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book reviews the history and prospective future of sports coverage as a leading content application in the rollout of the 3G mobile telecommunications. It provides a realistic perspective on any economic expectations of the technology and indeed related expectations for exploiting sports content. The book explores the history, and legal nature, of image rights in sport. Such rights, more familiar in the United States, are known to some extent, and recognized in the legislation of various states of the European Union. The book illustrates how without legislation but through custom, contract, and regulatory forbearance these rights are becoming recognized in the United Kingdom. It discusses the development of sports coverage of radio and dedicated sports channels from the mid-1980s. Using the example of Norwegian radio, the book describes the impact of gathering commercialization on the quality of sports coverage.
