28 Sport communication and the politics of identity in the MENA region

Abstract

This chapter examines the sporting context in the MENA region, and the role of media coverage in mobilizing narratives around sport performance, in the construction of collective imagination framed around national unity, and as a tool of political legitimization. Furthermore, the chapter focuses on recent trends in the MENA region, and particularly in the Arabian Gulf states, in investing in sport TV broadcasting as a means for nation and city-state branding. Last and not least, the chapter highlights the role of social media as an emerging and alternative space to challenge state’s ownership (and control) of communication around sport.