ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the increasing role of the corporate sports media, which view sports as a site for generating revenue. It considers the media in terms of their complex interpenetration of the sport, culture, and entertainment industries. Sport for its adherents is the bearer of strong mythologies of nobility and fair competition, while even those who are not sports fans are of necessity aware of the material success and high standing of sports stars. A 'scandal' can be created even out of fairly routine occurrences in a sporting event of great significance, like the public pillorying of the English soccer 'golden boy', and then Spice Girl fiance David Beckham for being sent off for kicking an opponent in a 1998 World Cup match against Argentina. Media sport involving serious money is obvious, but the cultural and economic consequences for media sports texts are less apparent. For this reason, the chapter delves into the place where economic and sporting muscles are flexed.
