Abstract: Sports news, as a favorite content category of mass audience, serves multiple functions and has far-reaching impacts. Its content and production, however, are also influenced by a myriad of factors including medium, culture, society and time. The dynamics between media, society and sports news allows abundant opportunities and challenges in sports news research. Through a review of four domains of research of sports news production, sports news functions, sports news impact and factors affecting sports news, this article introduces readers to a realm of theoretical and investigative areas.

Key words: sports news, media, theoretical frameworks