Abstract

Until the 1980s, there had been a dearth of scholarly inquiry in the field of sport communication. Considering the vitality of sport communication and the existence of sport and communication studies for several decades, this seems incomprehensible. While sport is one of the most extensive and popular subjects, compared with other areas (such as sociology, anthropology), it has caught the attention of communication researchers relatively late. When early works exploring the relationship between sport and media appeared in academic publications, scholars questioned the need for understanding and inquiry of the field. Nevertheless, it is acknowledged that academic accomplishments in the field have exploded in the last two decades. After the initial works of particular scholars, research has proliferated and sport communication as an academic discipline is showing remarkable scholarly potential. The crossroad where sport meets communication is a promising platform for both communication and sport scholars. Research in sport communication continues to flourish as sport continues to have a global impact. The future of sport communication research should ground itself in theoretical and practical perspectives. Given the current state of sport communication study, the following questions should be raised: how are communication theories applied in sport communication study; how can communication theories contribute to the expansion of sport communication study; and what contributions can sport communication offer as an academic discipline? The following sections of this chapter provide some overview materials and insights that sport communication scholars can then use to more fully address these queries. Aus dem Text