Abstract
The 1998 National Basketball Association (NBA) lockout affected numerous mass media outlets that normally devote print space or broadcast time to NBA game coverage. This study considered one mass media outlet, USA Today, and examined how its sports coverage patterns changed between a given week one year prior to the NBA lockout and a congruent week during the NBA lockout. Chi-square analysis indicated a significant (p<.001) difference existed in the distribution of newspaper space among various content categories for the two weeks in question. The economic value of gains/losses in each category was then calculated based on the newspaper's advertising rates. Results underscore that the value of foregone publicity is one of the important consequences of work stoppages for sport entertainment organizations. Results also indicate that the mass media may apply a unique set of criteria to decisions regarding substitute products to include in their coverage patterns.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.