ABSTRACT
Power in the sports industry is shared by the sports leagues and organizers, the live sports media, and the performers and their agents, with the ultimate power resting in the choices made by the public. We compare the relative power of each group and how forces within the industry are constantly changing. The symbiotic relationship that the live sports media have with leagues and organizers is explained. The author analyzes how viewer migration to streaming services has made sports content increasingly more important to broadcast and cable networks, forcing them to pay higher media rights fees.
