What Does it Take to Become a Sports Broadcaster?

Sports broadcasting is a competitive but exciting field for people who are passionate about sports. The job allows you to work for a news station as an in-studio reporter, or do play-by-play of live events for a sports network. It also allows you to delve behind the scenes into who the athletes, coaches and owners really are. The field has been booming recently as hundreds of channels--divided by region, country and individual sports--create jobs for sports broadcasters every year.

  1. Training

    • An undergraduate degree in journalism or broadcast journalism (preferably the latter) is the best way to get started. A command of the English language is a must and being a top-notch communicator on-camera is a skill that takes many years to learn, beyond the basics taught in a journalism bachelor's program. A few schools are now offering majors in sports broadcasting, but a general broadcast journalism degree will suffice.

    Internships

    • Paid or unpaid, internships offer invaluable learning experiences and allow you to make valuable connections. It's important to learn as much as you can about sports broadcasting, so working behind the camera is fine--for a while. However, you should have a plan to start reporting and work toward that goal. So try to get an internship doing something in front of the camera or just outside of it, so you can learn the process firsthand. If that's not possible, try to maintain creative involvement in some capacity--a sportswriting internship at a local newspaper, or assisting copy writers at a TV station. This way you'll be gaining knowledge on your way to your goal.

    Watch and Analyze

    • Watch as much televised sports as you can and analyze the analysts. Listen to what they highlight, their speaking patterns, if they're making sense (you'll be amused to find a lot of them don't). This is like watching every movie you can before trying to direct one. While you won't necessarily be able to jump right into a sports broadcaster job by doing this alone, the more information, study and analysis of the craft will make you that much more prepared when you do get your shot.

    Follow Your Plan

    • Know exactly what you want in your career and the route you will need to get there. Work hard, study the craft and learn from those ahead of you. The world of sports has a vast amount of information, hypotheses and unique parallels to everyday life. The best and oldest sports broadcasters keep these discoveries and experiences at the ready to spice up their broadcasts, to give their narration of what you are watching or listening to life and depth.

    Personality

    • Personality plays a major role among the sports broadcasters who rise to the top, beyond a passion for sports and the ability to memorize facts. An unbiased yet critical tone and analysis of what is happening on the field and why it's happening are important. A voice that is enjoyable to listen to as well as a wry sense of humor help make the broadcast more entertaining. Former professional athletes are also regularly hired as commentators, both for their past athletic celebrity and their personal knowledge of the sport. Charm and expertise seem to be the cornerstones of the highest-level sports broadcasters.