Title: Agenda-setting and La Copa Mundial: marketing through agenda-setting on soccer blogs during the 2010 World Cup

Authors: Lauren M. Burch; Evan L. Frederick; Matthew H. Zimmerman; Galen E. Clavio

Addresses: Indiana University-Bloomington, 1025 E. 7th Street, HPER 112, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. ' Indiana University-Bloomington, 1025 E. 7th Street, HPER 112, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. ' Indiana University-Bloomington, 1025 E. 7th Street, HPER 112, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. ' Indiana University-Bloomington, 1025 E. 7th Street, HPER 112, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA

Abstract: Media coverage for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa included US-based sports television network ESPN. Along with its television coverage, ESPN's website featured two blogs, specifically dedicated to the coverage of the 2010 World Cup. However, ESPN was not the only online outlet covering the event. Therefore, using agenda-setting theory, this study attempted to determine if the nature of World Cup coverage differed significantly between ESPN.com blogs (i.e., mainstream media) and blogs from a popular soccer website, BigSoccer.com (i.e., independent-fan media). Results indicated differences among secondary foci. Also, there was an overall trend to give increased coverage to countries that played fewer matches than the World Cup finalists. The implications of these findings will be discussed further.

Keywords: agenda-setting; online media; World Cup 2010; social media; internet; world wide web; soccer blogs; blogging; social networking; networks; Entertainment and Sports Programming Network; ESPN; cable television; USA; United States; BigSoccer; websites; mainstream media; independent media; content analysis; sport communication; La Copa Mundial; International Federation of Association Football; FIFA; South Africa; television coverage; fan media; competition finalists; football teams; football matches; sport management; sport marketing; emerging technologies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2011.044791

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2011 Vol.10 No.3/4, pp.213 - 231

Received: 11 Mar 2011
Accepted: 27 Jun 2011

Published online: 21 Feb 2015 *

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