The study examined the influence of Prime Sports FM coverage on the performance of Enugu Rangers Football Club during the 2024 Nigeria Premier Football League season. It specifically assessed how the station’s coverage influenced the team’s physical strength and evaluated the impact of social media tools used by 104.9 Prime Sports FM on the team’s speed performance during the season. A convergent mixed-method research design was adopted, combining survey research, unstructured interviews, and focus group discussions. The study population was 267,837, with a sample size of 384 determined using Freund and William’s statistical formula. Respondents were selected using a stratified sampling technique, and data collected were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Findings revealed that coverage by 104.9 Prime Sports FM had a significant positive influence on Enugu Rangers’ physical strength during the 2024 NPFL season (Z = 20.548, n = 346, p < 0.05). Similarly, social media instruments used by the station were found to have a significant positive influence on the team’s speed performance during the same season. The study concluded that Prime Sports FM coverage positively influenced Enugu Rangers’ overall performance in the 2024 NPFL campaign. It recommended that the station should expand opportunities for public participation in sports broadcasting and support sports development policies that encourage revenue generation through sports competitions and recreational facilities at local government levels. It also advised continued use of social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, X, and Instagram for wider information dissemination and audience engagement.
Amaechi Vitus Agbo (Mon,) studied this question.