Sports Journalism: A Career for Those Who Eat, Sleep and Breathe Sports

We live in a country that is crazy about sports. Apart from the insanity that surrounds the game of cricket, the last two decades have also seen the resurgence of sports like hockey, kabaddi, and badminton in the country.

If you are sports buff and think you have what it takes to make a career in the sports journalism industry, this article is for you! Career in sports journalism, as the name suggests, involves covering all aspects of a specific sport (or sports in general) through mediums such as television, radio, internet, magazines, and newspapers.

The sports industry is burgeoning and with the influx of mighty media houses, big sponsors and an ever-growing audience, several sports are climbing up the ladder in terms of expansion and evolution. People love following their favorite sports, teams, and athletes not just in their spare time, but also while they work or study. From cricket and football to hockey and kabaddi, India has become the hub for sporting activities and sports draw in a large number of viewership and readership across the country (and the globe).

It is no surprise then, that the demand for qualified professionals who can cover these sports is at an all-time high.

Career prospects and types of roles in sports journalism

Sports Writer

A Sports journalist is an individual in charge of churning out the features and articles you come across in media outlets like ESPNcricinfo, Cricbuzz and the sports sections in newspapers. Experienced sports journalist could be hired to write opinionated pieces, while newbies are generally responsible for crafting fact-based pieces for the audience. Sports journalist are also in great demand in TV channels where they write the script of sports shows or put together exciting content based on what is happening in the world of sports.

Being a Sports journalist has perks like:

Getting featured on the most followed platforms in the country (and abroad)
Creating a distinct identity and voicing honest opinions about sports
Working as a full-time Sports journalist or a freelancer

Sports Reporter

A sports reporter’s primary job is to travel to venues where sports are being hosted and cover them live (or record all the information and produce content based on it later). Interviewing players, coaches and administrators is one of the key responsibilities of sports reporters, as is reporting the happenings on and off the field concisely and factually. The demand for sports journalist is huge from newspapers and online magazines to television channels and broadcasting companies.

The perks of being a sports reporter include:

Meeting and interacting with the biggest names in sports
Traveling to various destinations to cover games
Being paid to watch your favorite sports live in action

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Sports Anchor

Like any other TV or radio show host, a sports anchor reports sports-related news and stories to the audience on screen or behind the mic. Sports journalist must be presentable and with a strong hold on languages like English and Hindi. Regional media houses could also require people fluent in vernacular communication and comfortable on camera.

The perks of being a sports anchor:

Featuring on popular TV/online/radio shows
Interviewing former and current sportspersons
Being employed with top sports organizations or media houses

Sports Photographer

Sports photographers are responsible for the images of players or sports that we see on our screens. Remember ‘Flying Jonty’ or that epic picture of Sachin Tendulkar walking out to bat in his last Test match? Those images were relayed to us by master sports photographers! Believe it or not, sports photography is a high-paying profession. This highly specialized field calls for a great level of expertise and experience. Sports photographers can choose to specialize in one specific sport or cover multiple sports.

Top plusses of being a sports photographer:

Watching and covering high-octane sports live in action
Traveling across the country (or world) for assignments
Meeting, interacting and shooting with celebrated sportspersons

Sports Editor

An editor is a person who packages games, sports features, presentations, and shows to be released or presented to the audience in real-time (or deferred). The highlights package that you see the post-game analysis or any other sport-related show that you see or hear, it is all down to the editor to take a call on what to include and what to leave out. Another type of sports editing is content editing, strategising and packaging text content that is to be published on online channels.

Top benefits of working as a sports editor:

Working with reputed sports media production houses
Doing diverse projects that challenge your creativity
Exploring opportunities to go to the next level as a feature producer

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Apart from the aforementioned profiles, there are several other roles that a sports journalism enthusiast can look at fulfilling. All in all, it is a highly gratifying career career in sports journalism for those who have an undying passion for sports.

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Written by: Nikhila Kotwal

Last updated: 29-09-2025

Nikhila Kotwal is a passionate researcher and writer. With a master's in communication and journalism, Master in English Literature and PGDM in New Media Journalism from Asian College of Journalism, she has a versatile knowledge of Media, Communication and Journalism.

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