SKY SPORTS AND AGENDA SETTING

     Our opinions are heavily dictated and influenced by the media that we choose to consume. With this knowledge, media corporations are able to influence their audiences to further their own agendas and beliefs. This theory of agenda setting is clearly on display with Sky Sports F1. For years they have pushed a negative bias towards Max Verstappen to their audience as well as shown continuous favoritism towards British drivers who are directly competing against him. 

     Agenda setting is a major factor in today’s journalism with news broadcasters often letting their own biases and ideas filter into the stories they push. This theory states that “news media influences the public regarding which issues are most important.” (Indeed, 2024) There are also two levels to this theory, with level one studying how “different outlets use content to influence audiences” (Indeed, 2024) and level two studying how “the media presents different issues.”(Indeed, 2024) Accessibility is also a major factor in how the media influences its audience.

     As one of the leading international broadcasters for Formula 1, Sky Sports has major influence over the sport’s audience. They are many people’s first and only choice for news related to the sport, which falls into the first level of agenda setting. Over the years, they have shown an increased negative bias towards Max Verstappen, especially when he is in direct competition with British drivers. After the controversial ending to the 2021 season which crowned Verstappen as the World Champion, Sky Sports ran a christmas advert that featured Verstappen’s major crash at the British Grand Prix that left him hospitalized after a collision with british rival, Lewis Hamilton. The ad used footage from the crash with their logo edited over it and “Merry Christmas” at the end (formulabf1, 2021). Sky Sports using this as a christmas advert shows immense disrespect towards Verstappen and therefore encourages their audience to disrespect him as well.

     Sky Sports is also notorious for their timed usage of geoblocking. Typically, their videos are only able to be accessed in certain regions but they have full control of when they can be seen worldwide. Just this week, an interview clip of Lando Norris claiming Red Bull were “quicker than us” (Sky Sports, 2024) in the previous race was not geo-blocked on their X account, whilst a clip of Verstappen discussing the issues the team have been facing was (Sky Sports, 2024). As X is an international platform, this is a prime example of a lack of accessibility where only select information is being given to the public. If people only have access to one side of the story they are more likely to believe it and not look for more information. Sky Sports routinely uses accessibility as a factor to influence their audience, in which they promote storylines that reflect positively on British drivers or negatively on Verstappen.

     For years, Sky Sports have been able to influence their audience with the agenda setting theory. They pick and choose what information is emphasized and how drivers are portrayed to the public, which furthers their own beliefs and agenda to the public.

WORKS CITED:

Editorial Team, Indeed. (2024). What is agenda setting theory? (plus levels and types) . Indeed. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/agenda-setting-theory  

Formulabf1 (2021, December 10). Merry Christmas from Sky Sports. [Video] YouTube. https://youtu.be/5P52g5KGjH4?si=7X58CZreuPuv-hIk 

F1, Sky Sports [@skysportsf1]  (2024, September 19) Are people counting out Red Bull too quickly? [Video Attached] [Post] X https://x.com/SkySportsF1/status/1836747946202730616 

F1, Sky Sports [@skysportsf1] (2024, September 20) Max Verstsappen left disappointed with the performance of his Red Bull following Friday practice at the Singapore Grand Prix. [Video Attached] [Post] X https://x.com/SkySportsF1/status/1837163028632195444