NFL

5 Ways Ed Sabol Revolutionized Sports Broadcasting

5 Ways Ed Sabol Revolutionized Sports Broadcasting

2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony
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Ed Sabol is owed a lot by the NFL and sports broadcasting forums all around. He built and managed a profitable, pivotal film empire that was established in 1962. Here are five ways that Sabol changed sports broadcasting forever.

5. League Networks

Super Bowl XLIX Media Day Fueled by Gatorade
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5. League Networks

Super Bowl XLIX Media Day Fueled by Gatorade
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The amount of footage Sabol had produced in his lifetime built the foundation for the NFL to create a cable TV channel solely dedicated to its league. The NFL Network was launched in 2003 and has provided former players and coaches with valuable broadcasting careers upon retirement. Since NFLN was founded, the NHL and MLB have also followed suit by creating their own channels.

4. 24/7 Coverage

Super Bowl XLV - Pro Football Hall of Fame Announces 2011 Class Enshrinees
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4. 24/7 Coverage

Super Bowl XLV - Pro Football Hall of Fame Announces 2011 Class Enshrinees
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With the advent of NFLN and other similar networks, sports fans could get their news or entertainment fix any time of day, any time of the year -- even when their sport of choice is in the offseason. This generates additional revenue for leagues through television advertisements.

3. Access

Cleveland Browns v Detroit Lions
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3. Access

Cleveland Browns v Detroit Lions
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There is little footage, if any, of Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points in an NBA match. Anything that has ever happened in the NFL is archived and available to be viewed on film. If an NFL fan born in 1990 wanted to watch Jim Brown play in a game, he could. Things like miking up players on the field also has given fans unprecedented access to in-game dynamics and communication.

2. Redefined Public Relations

New England Patriots Victory Parade
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2. Redefined Public Relations

New England Patriots Victory Parade
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Sabol's influence on sports media has led to it becoming a multi-billion dollar industry in North America. His work helped spawn the move of sports information from the medium of radio to television.

1. America's Game

Super Bowl XLIX - New England Patriots v Seattle Seahawks
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1. America's Game

Super Bowl XLIX - New England Patriots v Seattle Seahawks
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Though baseball is America's pastime, football is America's game and is most closely associated with sports culture in the United States. It's because of Sabol's work that the NFL is not just the most profitable sports league in North America, but one of the most profitable industries in the country. Sabol's work has given men like Commissioner Roger Goodell the leverage to negotiate massive contracts with broadcasters and sponsors.

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