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

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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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA

    Tywan G. Martin, Warren Whisenant & Windy Dees

  2. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Antonio S. Williams

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  1. Tywan G. Martin
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  2. Antonio S. Williams
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  3. Warren Whisenant
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Correspondence to Tywan G. Martin.

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Martin, T.G., Williams, A.S., Whisenant, W. et al. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and the Media: An Examination of an Emerging Sport’s Coverage in ESPN The Magazine . Public Organiz Rev 15, 433–452 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-014-0283-x

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