The FIFA World Cup: Media, Football and the Evolution of a Global Event

The chapter analyses the historical mediatization of the FIFA World Cup focusing on the rhetoric of technological advancement in the televised coverage of the competition as the premier single-sport global mega-event. The chapter also critically analyses the view that televised sport is being undermined by the rise of the Internet and social media, rather arguing that television remains central to the new media digital ecology. This analysis is supported by recent evidence in the coverage of the 2014 World Cup from Brazil. Bringing together many of the biggest names in the study of media and sport, this powerful new collection examines how the media influences our understanding of the world’s most important sports events. It sheds new light on how these events have been changed by, and have used, media to extend their brands and wield cultural influence. Focusing on the central concept of ‘mediatization’ – the infusion of a media logic across all spheres of contemporary life – the book presents original case studies of major events including the Olympics, the World Cup, Masters golf, Tour de France, the Super Bowl, the World Series and Wimbledon. This is a seminal work in the media, sport and cultural studies