The emergence of industrialization led to a proliferation of new forms of sports. While some of these styles still maintain an aesthetic element, many have focused on quantified achievement. This change in emphasis is apparent in the evolution of the word measure. The word originally denoted a sense of proportion and balance, but soon began to refer to numerical measurements.
The media has also influenced the development of sports. Today, athletes are taught scripts by their coaches that will elicit various emotions from spectators. Commercial television networks frequently interrupt the live coverage of sporting events for advertisements. These commercial interests often have a profound impact on how sports are covered, and some spectators and athletes resent this.
In addition, sports were able to become economically interdependent with mass media. Without billion-dollar broadcast rights and the saturation of sports pages, professional sports would not be able to survive. Hence, the development of sports culture and mass media is intimately linked. Although there are many differences between media and sports, there are some common characteristics.
Although modern sports emerged as an adult sport, children have been playing these games for centuries. This evolution may point to a broader shift in the definition of sport, and the rise of Asian and African cultures.