How to Get Work Experience in Sports Media (And What You Can Do Right Now)
Sports media has never offered more entry points for aspiring professionals. The challenge isn’t finding a way in, it’s knowing where to look, how to approach it, and what to do in the meantime
Nobody hands you a career in sports media. Every journalist who has ever filed a match report from a press box, every producer who has sat in a gallery during a live broadcast, every social media manager who has built a club’s online following from the ground up, all of them got their start somewhere. Most of them got it before anyone was paying attention.
I know this because I lived it. My first work experience was shadowing reporters at a local newspaper in North London and writing match reports on women’s and girls cricket, while juggling journalism college and a part-time job to pay the bills. The stories I covered were hardly glamorous – a tree planting ceremony at a local church was among them! But the feeling of seeing my first byline in print? That never leaves you.
And those early, unglamorous experiences were the direct foundation for everything that followed, including interviews with Diego Maradona, Novak Djokovic, Olympians, and world champions, and eventually editorial leadership roles at some of the world’s leading media organisations. The path started with a local newspaper and a story about a tree.
Work experience is the currency of the sports media industry. It is how you prove you can do the job before anyone has formally given you one. And in 2026, the options for gaining it are more varied, more accessible, and more genuinely useful than they have ever been.
This guide breaks down how to get work experience across every major area of sports media – the traditional routes through internships and placements, the outreach approaches that actually work, and the things you can do entirely on your own to build experience and a portfolio without waiting for anyone to give you permission.
Why Work Experience Matters More Than Your Degree
Sports media is a portfolio industry. Hiring editors, producers, and communications directors are not primarily interested in where you studied. They want to know whether you can do the job, and the clearest evidence of that is whether you have done it, or something close to it, before.
A journalism degree teaches you principles and gives you a framework. Work experience gives you clips. A broadcasting course teaches you technique. An internship at a local radio station gives you reel footage. The qualifications can provide some foundations but the experience is what builds the case for hiring you.
This does not mean qualifications are irrelevant. A degree in journalism, communications, sports science, or a related field still opens doors, particularly at larger organisations with structured graduate schemes. But if you are waiting to finish a degree, or believe the lack of a degree will hold you back, then you are misreading how sports media has evolved in the current landscape.
Start now. Build as you go. The experience compounds.
Sports Journalism
What it involves: Writing match reports, features, news stories, interviews, and analysis across print, digital, and broadcast platforms. Sports journalists work to deadlines, develop contacts, and build specialist knowledge of the sports they cover.
How to get a placement:
The most direct route into sports journalism experience is through your local and regional press. Local newspapers, regional digital outlets, and local radio stations regularly take on work experience candidates and interns – and they offer something the nationals cannot: real responsibility from day one. You will not be making coffee. You will be filing copy, attending press conferences, and covering live events because they need the resources.
This was exactly my own entry point. While studying at journalism college and working part-time to cover living costs, I secured unpaid work experience at a local newspaper in North London, shadowing reporters and eventually being trusted to cover my own stories. None of them were glamorous. A tree planting ceremony at a local church was a genuine assignment. But the discipline of turning up, taking notes, writing to a house style, and filing on time is the same whether the story is a church event or a Champions League final.
I also did a separate placement covering the girls and women’s teams at a local cricket club. Again, far from a dream gig, but crucial evidence of reliability and output that helped me take the next step.
Those two placements led directly to my first real breakthrough: a position at an independent online sports magazine. I still needed another job to pay the bills, but a year at that magazine gave me the experience and bylines to interview Olympians, tennis stars, and combat athletes, and to eventually land my first full-time role.
Start by identifying every local and regional sports publication, newspaper, and digital outlet in your area. Most will have an editorial contact or a general submissions email. Write a concise, specific pitch, not a generic “I’d love to gain experience” email, but a targeted message that shows you understand what they cover, references something specific they have published recently, and clearly states what you can offer and when you are available.
Student media is equally valuable. University newspapers, student television channels, and campus radio stations offer genuine publishing platforms with real audiences. Getting published, even in a student context, gives you clips that demonstrate you can write publishable copy and meet a deadline.
For those targeting larger organisations, structured internship programmes exist across the industry. In the UK, the NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) accredits courses and connects trainees with placements. The Press Association offers internship opportunities. In the US, programmes such as the USA TODAY Sports Journalism Institute run paid summer internships, and broadcasters including ESPN, CBS Sports, and Fox Sports recruit interns annually through their corporate careers pages.
What you can do on your own:
Start a blog or newsletter covering a sport, team, or angle you know well. Publish consistently and to a deadline you set yourself. This builds your writing discipline, forces you to develop a voice, and produces clips you can link to in applications. A well-written, consistently updated sports newsletter on Substack is a more impressive demonstration of capability than a generic application from someone with no published work at all.
Cover events you can access such as local amateur sport, university fixtures, community games. Attend press conferences that are open to credentialed media, even if your credential is a university press pass. Write the report. Post it. Build the record.
Production and Broadcasting
What it involves: The behind-the-scenes roles that make sports broadcasts happen – producers, directors, researchers, camera operators, vision mixers, floor managers, sound engineers, and editors. Production is one of the most technically demanding areas of sports media, and hands-on experience is the only real way to develop the skills it requires.
How to get a placement:
Local and regional television stations remain one of the most accessible entry points into broadcast production. Many will take work experience candidates in their sports departments, offering exposure to the full production process – from pre-production planning to post-production editing. The key is to make a targeted approach, demonstrating a genuine understanding of the technical side of the role rather than a general interest in sport.
The major broadcasters – the BBC, Sky Sports, ITV Sport, Channel 4, ESPN, NBC Sports, and CBS Sports – all run formal internship and work experience programmes. In the UK, the BBC’s work experience scheme takes applications through the BBC Careers portal. In the US, the major networks recruit production interns through their corporate careers pages, typically for summer placements.
Sports-specific production companies are a less obvious but highly effective route. Production companies that create sports documentaries, magazine programmes, and highlight packages are constantly moving between projects and regularly look for entry-level production support. Research the companies behind the sports content you watch and approach them directly.
University and college television channels provide genuine production experience. If your institution has a campus television station, volunteer to work on the sports desk. If it does not have one, there is a strong case for starting one.
What you can do on your own:
Build a demo reel. This is the broadcasting equivalent of clips in journalism – the primary piece of evidence a production employer will use to assess whether you have the technical ability and editorial instinct the job requires.
You do not need professional equipment to start. A modern smartphone, free editing software such as DaVinci Resolve or iMovie, and a willingness to film and cut sports content at any level such as local club matches, university sport, community events will get you started. The goal is to produce content that demonstrates you can tell a visual story, use a camera effectively, and edit to a professional standard.
Cover local sport. Volunteer to film for a local club. Offer to produce highlight packages for amateur teams in exchange for access and footage rights. Every piece of footage you shoot and edit builds the reel that will eventually open doors.
Radio and Podcasting
What it involves: Commentary, presentation, interviews, news reading, phone-ins, and the production of audio sports content across traditional radio and the rapidly growing podcast space. Radio requires strong communication skills, quick thinking, and the ability to paint a picture with words in real time.
How to get a placement:
Local commercial and community radio stations are the most accessible starting point in broadcasting. Many will take work experience candidates, and even a few days shadowing a sports desk gives you insight into the format, pace, and pressures of live radio production.
University radio stations are one of the best training grounds for aspiring sports broadcasters. Many institutions broadcast live sports commentary, run regular sports programming, and offer genuine on-air time from the beginning. Getting on-air early – even in a student context – is invaluable experience that very few people in your position will have.
Contact sports radio stations directly with a clear proposal for what you want to learn and what you can contribute. In the UK, stations such as talkSPORT and BBC Radio 5 Live offer work experience, typically applied for through their parent company portals. In the US, ESPN Radio and regional sports talk stations are worth approaching directly.
What you can do on your own:
Start a podcast. This is the most direct way to build radio-equivalent experience without needing anyone to give you access. A podcast on a sport, team, or angle you know well teaches you how to structure audio content, conduct interviews, develop a presenting voice, and manage the production process from recording to distribution.
The barrier to entry is minimal. A decent USB microphone (available for under $50), free recording software such as Audacity or GarageBand, and a free hosting account on Spotify for Podcasters or Buzzsprout is all you need to publish professional-sounding audio. The discipline of producing a regular podcast – committing to a schedule, preparing research, conducting interviews, editing and publishing on time – develops exactly the skills that radio employers look for.
Commentary is a separate skill worth practising deliberately. Record yourself doing live commentary of matches you are watching – football, basketball, cricket, any sport you know well. Listen back critically. Notice where you hesitate, where your descriptions are vague, where you fill dead air poorly. The feedback loop of recording and reviewing is how commentary technique develops.
Social Media
What it involves: Creating and managing content across platforms including Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube for sports clubs, broadcasters, brands, and media organisations. Social media roles in sport combine content creation, community management, data analysis, and real-time editorial judgment.
How to get a placement:
Clubs, leagues, and governing bodies at all levels need social media support, and many – particularly at the semi-professional and amateur level – are under-resourced and genuinely receptive to offers of help. Approach a local club, a lower-league team, or a community sports organisation and offer to manage their social media presence on a voluntary basis.
The experience of actually running an account – creating content, scheduling posts, engaging with followers, analysing performance – is worth considerably more than any internship that has you observing.
For formal internships, virtually every professional sports club and broadcaster now has a digital and social media team, and most run internship programmes through their club or company careers pages. The key is to demonstrate platform fluency and creative ability in your application – show your own content or examples of content you have created, not just your knowledge of the platforms.
Sports agencies and digital content studios that work with clubs, brands, and athletes also regularly recruit social media interns. These agencies often give interns broader exposure to multiple clients and projects than a single club placement would.
What you can do on your own:
Run your own channel. A sports-focused Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube account covering a team, a sport, or a specific angle demonstrates exactly the skills a social media employer is looking for – content creation, platform understanding, audience development, and consistency.
This is not just about building a following. It is about demonstrating that you understand how different platforms work, what performs in each format, and how to produce content that connects with an audience. An application to a sports social media role that includes a link to a well-run personal sports channel will stand out from an application that does not. The following size matters less than the quality and consistency of what you have produced.
Learn the tools. Familiarise yourself with social media scheduling platforms such as Buffer or Hootsuite, design tools such as Canva, and analytics dashboards on each major platform. These are the tools you will use in the role, and demonstrating working knowledge of them in an application is a genuine differentiator.
PR and Communications
What it involves: Managing the relationship between the media and sports organisations, brands, and events. Sports PR professionals write and distribute press releases, manage media accreditation, support journalists covering their organisation, handle crisis communications, and coordinate player and club announcements. It is a role that requires both strong writing ability and strong interpersonal skills.
How to get a placement:
Every professional sports club has a communications or media relations team, and placements are available through club careers pages and direct approaches to communications managers. At the lower levels of the professional game, clubs often have very small communications teams and welcome offers of support, particularly around match days.
Sports PR agencies – companies that handle the communications for multiple clubs, athletes, brands, or events – are a highly efficient entry point because they offer exposure to multiple clients and a broader range of situations than a single club placement. Research the agencies working in sport in your area and make targeted approaches, ideally timed around periods when they are likely to need additional support, such as pre-season or ahead of major events.
Governing bodies, national sports organisations, and event organisers also offer communications internships. In the UK, organisations such as the Football Association, England Cricket Board, and British Athletics all run formal internship programmes. In the US, major league teams and the leagues themselves recruit communications interns through their careers pages.
What you can do on your own:
Write practice press releases. Take a real sports news story – a transfer, a signing, a result, a controversy – and write it as a press release. Focus on structure, tone, and the art of presenting information in a way that a journalist can use. This builds the core skill of sports PR without needing access to a media room.
Offer to handle communications for an amateur club or a community sports event. Writing their match reports, managing their relationship with local press, drafting announcements – these are direct equivalents of professional communications work, and the fact that you initiated it and managed it independently is impressive evidence of capability.
Data and Analytics
What it involves: Collecting, analysing, and presenting sports data to inform editorial storytelling, club performance decisions, commercial strategies, and fan engagement. Sports analytics has grown rapidly and now sits at the intersection of technology, statistics, and sports knowledge.
How to get a placement:
Data and analytics roles in sport are among the most competitive and hardest to access through traditional work experience routes. The organisations doing the most interesting work – StatsBomb, Opta, Second Spectrum, and the analytics departments of professional clubs – tend to recruit through specialist channels rather than general internship programmes.
University sports analytics programmes are a strong starting point. Institutions such as Samford University’s Center for Sports Analytics run formal internship programmes specifically for students with a genuine interest in the field. The MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference remains the premier networking event in the global sports analytics community and is worth attending even as a student.
The Hudl network, which is used by teams at all levels of sport, offers exposure to performance data and video analytics tools that are directly relevant to analytics roles. Volunteering to do video and data analysis for a local or amateur team, even at a basic level, builds both your technical skills and your ability to communicate analytical findings to coaches and athletes who are not data specialists.
What you can do on your own:
Learn the tools. Python, R, and Excel are the core data analysis tools used across sports analytics. Free resources including Codecademy, DataCamp, and StatsBomb’s open data repository allow you to develop genuine technical skills and produce original analysis that you can publish or submit as portfolio work.
Publish your own analysis. Platforms including StatsBomb’s blog, The Athletic’s writer programme, and independent sports data publications welcome original analytical work from emerging writers. Getting a piece of data-driven sports analysis published, even on a personal blog or newsletter, demonstrates the combination of technical and communication skills that analytics employers are looking for.
Front-of-Camera Roles
What it involves: Presenting, reporting, anchoring, and appearing on-screen as the face of a sports broadcast, whether as a sideline reporter, studio host, live correspondent, or online presenter. These roles require the combination of editorial knowledge, communication skill, and on-screen comfort that only comes from practice.
How to get a placement:
University television channels and student media organisations are the single most accessible route to genuine on-screen experience at the start of a career. The BBC’s college of journalism, the NCTJ, and institutions with strong journalism programmes offer direct pathways into formal work experience with broadcasters.
Approaching local television stations – regional ITV franchises, local news channels, digital sports broadcasters – with a clear pitch and a demo reel is the most direct route to professional on-screen experience. The pitch should be specific, the reel should demonstrate you can present naturally and confidently to camera, and the approach should be professional and concise.
Live streaming has created an entirely new category of on-screen opportunity. Sports clubs at all levels now stream their matches through platforms including YouTube Live, Twitch, and their own apps. Offering to present or commentate on these streams puts you in front of a real audience in a live broadcasting context, which is exactly the experience that front-of-camera hiring decisions are based on.
What you can do on your own:
Record yourself presenting. Film yourself delivering sports news, doing live commentary, conducting mock interviews, and presenting programme segments. Watch it back critically. Most people are uncomfortable on camera at first; the discomfort reduces with practice. A reel of genuine presenting work – even produced on a phone, in natural light, covering amateur sport – is more compelling than no reel at all.
The BBC Academy and YouTube creator programmes offer free resources on presenting technique, delivery, and the technical basics of filming yourself. Use them.
Photography and Design
What it involves: Capturing images at sporting events for media organisations, clubs, agencies, and brands, or creating visual content – graphics, motion graphics, infographics, and digital assets – for sports media platforms and organisations.
How to get a placement:
Sports photography experience starts at the grassroots level. Contact local clubs, amateur leagues, and community sports events and offer to photograph for them. This gets you pitchside access, gives you content to build your portfolio, and demonstrates your ability to work in a live sports environment. Most professional sports photographers started by shooting local football or athletics on weekends before working their way up to professional events.
Press accreditation for larger events is earned over time. Many lower-league professional clubs will give accreditation to aspiring photographers who approach them professionally and can demonstrate a portfolio of sports work. One professional club accreditation leads to another, and the portfolio grows from there.
Photography agencies including Getty Images, PA Media, and Alamy have specific sports photography departments and occasionally recruit or take on trainees. The route in is almost always through a portfolio of strong sports photography work rather than academic qualifications.
For design roles, agencies and studios working in sport are the best route to formal experience. Building a portfolio on Behance or a personal portfolio site – sports brand work, motion graphics, social media assets – is the primary evidence an employer will use to assess your design capability.
What you can do on your own:
Shoot sport. Any sport. A local football match, a school athletics day, a community basketball tournament. The technical demands of sports photography – capturing fast movement, working in difficult light, choosing the moment – require consistent practice, and every session adds to your portfolio.
Post your work. Instagram and Behance are the primary portfolio platforms for visual work. Consistent, high-quality posting builds both your portfolio and your visibility with the commissioners and editors who are looking for emerging visual talent.
For graphic design, use free tools including Canva and Adobe Express to develop your skills, and move toward Adobe Creative Suite as your technical requirements grow. Design work for local clubs, community sports events, or your own sports content channel builds a portfolio that demonstrates real-world application rather than purely academic work.
The Outreach That Actually Works
Across every area of sports media, the approach you take to seeking experience matters as much as the experience you are seeking. Most applications and outreach attempts fail not because the person lacks ability but because the approach is generic, unfocused, or fails to demonstrate genuine understanding of the organisation being contacted.
The outreach that works has three consistent characteristics.
It is specific
Not “I’d love to gain experience in sports media” but “I have been following your coverage of the season and would be interested in supporting your match day reporting operation during the run-in.” The editor or producer who receives a message that demonstrates they have actually engaged with the organisation’s output is far more likely to respond than one who receives a template application.
It demonstrates existing capability
Every outreach message should include a link to something – a published article, a reel clip, a podcast episode, a portfolio, a social channel. If you have nothing to link to yet, that is the first thing to fix before you start applying. Building even a small body of relevant work changes the dynamic of every approach you make.
It makes it easy to say yes
Be clear about what you are asking for, when you are available, and what you can offer. The simpler and more specific the ask, the easier it is for a busy editor or producer to respond positively. A two-week work experience placement in a specific period, with a clear sense of what you can contribute, is an easier yes than a vague request for career advice.
A Note on Patience and Persistence
The people who build careers in sports media are almost never those who had it easiest at the start. They are those who kept showing up, who continued filing copy, posting content, pitching ideas, and building experience when the responses were slow or the placements were unpaid or the audience was small.
My own path is a straightforward illustration of this. Unpaid work experience at a local newspaper, covering a tree planting ceremony. A reporting placement at a cricket club’s women’s teams, unglamorous but formative. A year at an independent sports magazine while working a second job to pay the rent. A growing bank of clips, bylines, and video interviews with athletes that I could not have accessed without the work that came before. And then, eventually, a first full-time role, followed by a career that has taken me to editorial leadership positions at leading media organisations and, now, to working as a media strategist for one of the world’s largest communications agencies.
None of that was handed over. All of it was built, step by step, starting with experiences that seemed small at the time and turned out to be foundational.
The experience compounds. Every clip, every broadcast, every piece of published work makes the next application stronger. Every contact you make in a student newsroom or a local radio station or a club media team is a connection that matters later.
Start with what you can access. Build what you cannot be given. The gap between where you are and where you want to be is closed through accumulated action, not through waiting for the right opportunity to appear.
Ready to take the next step?
If you’re looking to turn these insights into a clear direction for your own career, The Sports Media Career Playbook breaks down the modern industry, the skills that matter most, and how to position yourself within today’s evolving media landscape.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your path, it’s designed to help you move forward with purpose and clarity.
