Theory-building and multi-level analysis: Further broadening the horizon of Communication & Sport

In this brief essay, I will highlight and elaborate on some of the main reflections put forth by Cummins & Hahn (2025) in their recently published systematic review of 10 years of academic work in Communication & Sport (2013-2022). In the first part, I will elaborate on some of the shortcomings the authors identify in the use of theory in the sampled articles. In the second section, I will reflect on methodological approaches in the journal, as they are discussed in the article, in particular the emphasis on content analysis. Cummins & Hahn’s review reveals how audience reception studies or examinations of production processes, or a combination of these, are still less represented in the journal than would ideally be the case. The essay closes with some concluding remarks summarizing and extending on some of the main challenges and ways forward as suggested by the authors.