Abstract:
Through a study of surfing as a second-tier sport in New Zealand which only sporadically enjoys mainstream broadcast coverage, this thesis examines how New Zealand surfing fans are increasingly adopting live streaming as a favourable mode of viewing live surfing content. The World Surf League has enabled this to occur via the live streaming of off-shore surfing events which are freely available on Facebook Live, the World Surf League website and the World Surf League mobile application. The study provides an analysis into the increasing popularity of live streamed surfing content, especially among New Zealand’s younger surfing demographic. While the live streaming of surfing has been expanding surfing’s social and sports spaces in New Zealand, an element of resistance and territorial attitudes are still evident, especially amongst older, recreational surfers. Despite the alternate nature of this delivery system aligning with ideals traditionally held within the sport of a rejection of the mainstream, there is a lingering reluctance to embrace all that comes with this mediated sport content. By drawing on the findings collated from an online questionnaire with surfing fans throughout New Zealand and personal interviews I conducted with key sports media professionals, the dynamic nature of changes within New Zealand surfing’s mediated sport space is examined.
