The voice and presence of an announcer during a treasured sporting moment are a critical part of the sports fan experience.
It is hard to separate an iconic announcer cheer from an iconic moment.
A good sports announcer is a critical element to a complete, entertaining and engaging fan experience.
A good sports announcer possess skills that include but are not restricted to:
A sound knowledge of the sport
Announcing and presenting sport requires a deep knowledge of the sport and all its nuances. This is in addition to a deep knowledge of the league, the players on the field during the game, and the context of the game in light of the season, or the series.
An ability to converse fluidly
Announcing requires hours of conversation with experts that include established journalists, former and current players and coaches. This conversation has to be engaging in addition to being informative to the fans tuning in.
An ability to communicate clearly
An announcer requires to be fluent in the language of the broadcast. In addition to being able to communicate what is happening on and off the field, the announcer should also have a strong grasp of the vernacular of the local audience. The announcer should be able to strike a balance between making the fan feel engaged with deep analysis, while also keeping the fan entertained with high energy.
A creative ability to adapt the conversation
Live sport is unpredictable, and the odds of an exciting match are constantly changing. Whether it is an underdog team beating a favourite team, or a young and inexperienced player performing above their ability. A good announcer should possess the talent and ability to creatively steer and adapt the conversation to whatever is happening on the field of play at the moment.
Working knowledge of broadcast technology
An announcer should have a working knowledge of the broadcast technology that he or she will be using during the broadcast. He or she should be familiar with elements such as the lapel microphone, the earpiece or in-ear monitor, the camera setup, the touch screens used for analytical reporting, among other things.
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If you have dreamed of becoming a presenter, and wish to get started on that journey, log in to sporjo.com and sign up for our SPORPRREP module on broadcasting.
