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Social Media & Global Sport Observatory

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The Social Media & Global Sport Observatory is a stable and permanent academic structure for research, training and dissemination dedicated to the study of sports communication through social networks, conceived as a global phenomenon.

The Social Media & Global Sport Observatory conducts academic research, disseminates data and delivers training around the issue of sport communication through social media. Results are shared through the SMGSO website, Facebook and Twitter as:

  • Data Lab. The data laboratory is the most dynamic section, with a weekly update, offers informative pills on the activity that global sports organizations and sportsmen develop in social networks.
  • Case Studies. The case studies aim to deepen the activity developed during specific sporting events, such as the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, or in those outstanding sports organizations that require a more important focus.
  • Publications. Free access is given to the activity developed by the research team at the academic level: articles published in academic journals, as well as books, book chapters and reports.
Rationale of the project

The advent of social media within the world of sport has revolutionised the way in which international sporting organisations and brands communicate with the general public, supporters, volunteers and fans, turning the issue into a fascinating field of emerging research. Social media requires of a new way of communicating; more direct and sincere, closer to the public, and with a new language to take advantage of the opinions from fans and followers and their user-generated content. The Social Media & Global Sport Observatory will respond to the various challenges faced by sporting organisations in this area.

The Social Media & Global Sport Observatory is part of the R&D project on “Social Networking Sites and Spanish Football: Violence, public participation and communication ecology” (CSO2015-69289-R), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness. This research project analyses the complex communication, mechanisms of production and dissemination of violence in Spanish football through social networks, and offers solutions for their control. It also examines models of interaction with the public in major football tournaments and global sporting organizations.

Visit the Observatory website