Abstract: Based on a survey of Chinese audiences during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, this study empirically analyzed the influencing factors of media use during the mega-sports event. The results show that: (1) The media use is influenced by both individual and structural factors; (2) Individual factors such as watching motivation, team identification, gender and age have significant influence on audiences' media use behaviors; (3) The influence of structural factors is greater than individual factors. Structural factors such as audience availability and access, viewing context, daily sports participation have significant influence on audiences' media use behaviors; (4) Mega-sports event is not only a sports event, but also a media event. The findings can help to understand Chinese audiences of the mega-sports events and provide support for the media and sports organizations in terms of sports event communication and marketing.

Key words: mega-sports event, sports audience, sports consumption, Women's World Cup, media event