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 (for example, Lawrence A. Wenner’s 1989 edited work, Media, Sports and Society), 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 (Billings, Butterworth, and Turman, 2012; Bryant and Holt, 2006; Kennedy and Hills, 2009; Nicholson, 2007).
