ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book investigates the historical conditions of the formation of production of sport spectacle as an autonomous field with its own particular history, disputes, and rules. It identifies central elements within the field that have been either autonomous or submissive in relation to other fields. The book focuses on players operating in the field of production of sporting mega-events using an analogy of the concept of the field and the idea of the game as established by Bourdieu and Wacquant. It explores important transformations in these rules that took place following the organization of the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. The book demonstrates how sport spectacle can provide a suitable arena and context for consolidating a coalition of dominant interests. It consists of mapping out and analyzing political and institutional changes in the cities that have most hosted sporting mega-events.
