The invention of the radio

Although there are many inventions that help shaped sports into what it is today, none of them were as important as the radio.

The beginning of the radio started when physicists James Clerk Maxwell and Heinrich Hertz developed the theory of electromagnetic waves. The first radio was very crude and only sent out signals for a couple meters. Others such as Marconi and Tesla helped develop the idea. Commercial radio broadcasting first started in 1920, and ever since, sports broadcasting flourished.

The invention of the radio changed sports forever. To find out the score in their favorite match, people no longer had to use word of mouth or newspapers. They could sit in their homes and listen to the game instantaneously without even being there. This was a huge step in the evolution of sports. In a way it made sport more popular because as more and more people bought a radio, they would tune in to the sports broadcast that they otherwise might not have been interested in.

This also gave advertisers a chance to profit. They would create ads that they would play in between quarters or at halftime. The radio added a whole new dimension to sports and sports broadcasting.

Sources:

Mack, E. Pamela. The invention of the radio. Clemson.edu. 10/25/05. http://www.clemson.edu/caah/history/FacultyPages/PamMack/lec122/radio.htmhttp://www.clemson.edu/caah/history/FacultyPages/PamMack/lec122/radio.htm