The media have played a key role in sport’s ascendancy as a social, cultural and economic institution, both in Australia and internationally. This article outlines some of the recent developments in the nexus between sport and the media, as well as the criticisms that have been levelled at the sport journalism profession. It is argued that it is now difficult to analyse sport, in its many forms, without acknowledging its relationship with the media, and vice versa. The final part of the article draws together the key issues and debates addressed in this themed issue.