Sports rights and public service media/public broadcasting: Case studies on economic and political implications

The historic relationship between public service media and major national sporting events is strained and/or broken across the globe. This article offers a broad picture of the recent developments in the global market for sport broadcasting and frames the debate between those who view sport as an essential element of national culture and others, for whom sport is a product best left to the marketplace. This special issue explores the place of sports broadcasting rights in the increasingly contested environment of public service media.