The presence of sport in the media has grown exponentially over the last few decades. As a result, the influence of the media on the concept of physical activity within society and the collective and individual values it purports is indisputable. The mass media tends to follow a specific pattern when representing sport, this includes broadcasting of sport competitions and presentation of elite athletes as contemporary legends. A broad range of teaching and research opportunities are available in the field of media education. For this reason, we conducted a systematic review of international studies (Web of Science and Scopus) published between 2007 and 2018, focusing on the effects and influence of sports content on the audience. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement provided a framework for the analysis of included papers. The study incorporated an initial sample of 313 research articles that discussed the importance of emotional factors with regards to perceptual processes. Furthermore, links with various behavioral indicators were identified, such as competitiveness, violence, self-improvement linked to effort, stereotypes of beauty and health care.
Keywords: behavioral changes; healthy lifestyle; media effects; social influence; sports journalism.