It is suggested that television companies .............. .

Prior to the advent of television, baseball and
an occasional boxing match were the main
sports attractions available to a large public
by radio. No one, for example, would have
just listened to a golf or bowling tournament.
The visual impact of television has brought
hours of every known sport, from arm
wrestling to yachting, into the living rooms
of millions of viewers. The Influence of
television derives from its visual immediacy,
but its power over sports is based on money.
The money comes from commercial
sponsors, who buy broadcast time from the
television companies. The television stations
then must often pay the professional leagues
a great deal for the right to broadcast the
events.