"This book incorporates many points of view that jointly explore the power inherent in a sports event, whether it is a megasports event such as the Olympics or World Series that is viewed by millions, or a niche sports event such as a college volleyball game that still has been found to have a demonstrable and loyal following. Wenner (1998) coined the term "mediasport" to represent the fusion of these two entities. This book evolves from Wenner's conception, as it covers the national and the international, the male and the female, the athlete and the fan, the traditional and the new. Nevertheless, within all of these wide-ranging issues, the book still underscores information that answers fundamental questions for academics, including: - Who consumes mediasport? - Why do they consume mediasport? - What are the perceived benefits from consuming mediasport? - What is the difference between watching and consuming mediasport? - How do traditional media interact with new media to form modern notions of mediasport? - What trends are increasing within mediasport? - What trends are dissipating within mediasport? - What are the effects of mediasport within modern society? And, perhaps most importantly: - What can the academic community do to advance the understanding and knowledge base within mediasport scholarship? "--Provided by publisher.