The document discusses the history of technology in sports from the 1920s to present day. It covers some of the earliest broadcasts of sports including the first radio broadcast of a football game in 1920 and first televised baseball game in 1939. It also discusses important events like Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in MLB in 1947. The document then outlines several key innovations in sports broadcasting technology over the decades like instant replay in 1955, on-screen graphics in 1965, and the introduction of networks like ESPN and devices like the DVR that changed how fans experience sports.

1. The History of
Technology in
Sports
By: Kelly King

2. 1920 — The First Widespread Radio Broadcasts
On November 25th, 1920, it was the first time a
football game had ever been broadcast over the
radio.

3. Television
On May 17th, 1939, the first ever television
broadcast of any sport was cast, it was a college
baseball game. At this time, there were only 400
televisions in the entire country that were able to
watch the baseball game.

5. Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in
1947 when he got signed onto the MLB team,
the Brooklyn Dodgers.

6. During Robinson’s journey he had a companion alongside him named Wendell
Smith, who was a black sports writer and columnist. Smith followed Robinson
during all of his journey, being a support for Robinson and also writing his story.
Smith was not allowed to be in the press box because he was black, so he would sit
in the stands and write with a type writer that sat on his lap.

7. The Negro League Baseball Museum

8. The Negro League Baseball Museum Cont…

10. The Negro League Baseball Museum Cont…

13. Then in 1955, a version of instant replay was born and in 1963 the
VCR was created.

14. In 1965 on-screen graphics came to life, and the days of holding cue cards in front of the
camera were gone. Also in 1996 Fox created what is known as the FOX Box which was a bar
at the top of the screen, and at all times of the game it would show the number of strikes,
speed of pitch, how many bases are loaded, etc.

15. In 1979, was the birth of ESPN who declared that they would be airing
nothing but sports 24-7.

16. Also in 1996 Fox created what is known as the FOX Box which was a bar at
the top of the screen, and at all times of the game it would show the
number of strikes, speed of pitch, how many bases are loaded, etc.

17. Then in 1999, TiVo/DVR came to life and changed the way that millions of
sports fans and all Americans viewed television. Another amazing
technology that has impacted sports and how we view it is the internet.

18. In 1988, an extraordinary torch was invented during those winter games that was created with a
special fuel that would prevent the torch from burning out for 88 days straight.

19. Bibliography
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Changed Sports and Venue Management. N.p., 3 June 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
• History.com Staff. "Winter Olympics Technology." History.com. A&E Television Networks,
2010. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
• Murrary, Richard. "How Technology Has Changed the Way We Watch Sports." Sports Haze.
N.p., 7 Nov. 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
• Rowe, David. Critical Readings: Sport, Culture and the Media. Maidenhead, Berkshire: Open
UP, 2004. Print.
• Woods, Ronald B. "Technology Has Changed the Way We Experience Sport." Human-
kinetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.