The Local and the Global in English Soccer and the Rise of Satellite Television

This article is concerned with unpacking some of the important dimensions of the developing relationship in Britain between satellite television and sport. The article discusses (a) the rise of Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB network and the central role of Sky's exclusive deal with the new Football Associations Premier League for soccer in cementing the future for satellite broadcasting in Europe, and (b) the role of sport and television in constructing national identities and in promoting some of the conditions for the enactment of effective forms of citizenship. The discussion concludes with some comments on recent trends in the commercialization of sport and on the possibilities for the mediation of new forms of spectator attachments to sport.