Objective of the study is to determine the nature of the interaction between sports cinema and society and culture in conditions of information overload. Methods and structure of the study. Films on sports themes from 37 European countries for the period from 1910 to 2023 were analysed. Using quantitative and qualitative research methods, the roles of sport in cinema at the national and international levels and their relationship with the political and ideological directions of state development were determined, a comparative analysis of the plots of films from different countries was carried out, and the process of the formation of sports cinema in the world was characterised. A preliminary analysis of the data allowed us to formulate a hypothesis about the oversaturation of the information field. Results and conclusions. Cinema acts as an important link between society, culture and art, shaping public opinion and reflecting the social demands of the audience. Research into the dynamics, content and influence of sports films on the Russian media space has confirmed that sports cinema in the Russian Federation emphasises patriotism while also showing the existing problems in the world of sport. Russian and European cinema are oriented towards the standards of high-quality and modern cinema set by Hollywood films, but each film has its own characteristics of the national sports film industry. © 2026, Teoriya i praktika fizicheskoy kul'tury i sporta. All rights reserved.