The Impact of Presenting Physiological Data During Sporting Events on Audiences’ Entertainment

Psychophysiological data has been useful in many domains, and this study examines the use of such information in the domain of sports audiences. This study employs a four-condition experiment in which participants watched a short sports clip displaying different physiological measures in the corner. The participants were then asked about their perceptions of the clip. Broadly, there was not much difference between groups based on the types of information presented; however, presenting blood pressure information proved to be the most entertaining for audiences. This provides early evidence that the presentation of physiological information during a sporting event can impact feelings of enjoyment, meaningfulness, and perceptions of knowledge of the sport. There is promise for these measures to be used in sports media, provided that best practices are followed and attention is paid to important factors.