Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and the Media: An Examination of an Emerging Sport’s Coverage in ESPN The Magazine

Tywan Martin (), Antonio Williams (), Warren Whisenant () and Windy Dees ()

Public Organization Review, 2015, vol. 15, issue 3, 433-452

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the coverage devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) and its most recognizable promotional company, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in the popular sport publication ESPN The Magazine. This study – which employed a content analysis methodology – examined the quantity and prominence of various media components of the coverage devoted to MMA and the UFC fighters, promoters, fans, and stakeholders. Elite, agenda-set, and hegemonic theoretical frameworks were used to guide this investigation of the magazine’s first 13 years (i.e., 1998-2010). Overall, MMA and the UFC received significantly less coverage on the pages of the prominent sport publication when compared to two sport leagues under contract with the Walt DisneyCompany. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Keywords: Mixed martial arts; ESPN; Consumer behavior; Hegemony; Agenda set; Elite theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1007/s11115-014-0283-x

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