The lowdown
A sports commentator is an expert reporting a live match on radio or television in real time. Commentary is about enhancing the viewer’s pleasure by describing the scene of action pleasantly story;
Clock Work
8am : Wake up
8.30am : Read the newspapers
11am : Watch sports news on television
2pm : Lunch
2.30pm : Leave for stadium to do commentary - this depends on match timings and the country it’s played in
6pm : Take a break
6.30pm : Resume the commentary
9.30pm : Give interviews/ participate in talk shows
10.30pm: Call it a day
The payoff
An average commentator earns anywhere between Rs5000 to Rs10,000 a day. But well-known faces command a better sum of Rs25,000 onwards a day. Your annual income depends on the number of days in a year you get work
Skills/TRAITS
. You must love the sport and follow it religiously
. You should have a thorough knowledge of the game and should love it
. Excellent command over the language
. Good voice, which should be exploited for perfect dialogue delivery
. You should have some visual acceptance, especially in case of commentary on television
Getting There
There are very few openings for sports commentators in India. Former national players have relatively brighter chances to make it to the commentary box. You can start from All India Radio or Doordarshan which are usually good platforms to start with and eventually (if you want) move on to private channels. You need a rich, long experience in the sports arena to get hired by a sports channel
Getting There
There are very few openings for sports commentators in India. Former national players have relatively brighter chances to make it to the commentary box. You can start from All India Radio or Doordarshan which are usually good platforms to start with and eventually (if you want) move on to private channels. You need a rich, long experience in the sports arena to get hired by a sports channel
Institutes
It is not a career, accessible through a classroom. There are no institutes which train people to become sports commentators. But you can do English, personality development and communication skills courses to gain an edge.
. R K Films & Media Academy - New Delhi,
www.rkfma.com
. Dublin Business School, Ireland,
www.dbs.ie
Pros and Cons
. You are seen/ heard by millions
. The money is good but you might not get assignments regularly. You might not get any work for six months at a
stretch
. Sports commentary essentially happens at international matches and mostly former players rule the roost