The Global Sport Mass Media Oligopoly

Abstract

The current frenzy of megamergers and acquisitions creating giant media/entertainment conglomerates has been described in the sociology of sport literature as one of the key aspects of sport globalization processes now unfolding. In this literature three usual suspects are mostly pointed out: Disney, News Corp and AOL–Time Warner. This article argues that one must look beyond these in order to get a clearer picture of the emerging media/sport complex. By examining the corporate structure of six major media/entertainment conglomerates, this article reveals some of the intricacies of these holdings which unpack the ‘circuits of promotion’ being formed through media platforms and content convergence. Moreover, the analysis of these corporate holdings show how these competitors are also involved in several joint ventures that connect them together, thus forming a dense web despite their rivalries. The article concludes that unless democratic interventions are enabled at the national and global levels sport media consumers will remain easy targets of the global media/ entertainment oligopoly.