The Commercialisation of Sport
The commercialisation of sport is not wholly beneficial as it has many
disadvantages to it. Commercialisation is the promotion and
development of a product as a business within a market place. This is
done by the use of sponsorship, funding, selling, publicity and
advertising within the media, which is all rooted from money. People
invest in sport not only for the success that comes from it, but for
the great deal of money that can be made in the sport business,
therefore money is of high importance in the sporting industry.
With the commercialisation of sport comes money, which can be invested
in the development of young talent so that they may improve to become
a world class performer, and can therefore be displayed on the ‘shop
window’ or ‘world stage,’ thus acting as role models and encouraging
mass participation, which in turn brings more money into sport. The
commercialisation of sport created thousands of jobs worldwide,
consequently increasing profits, which can be used to increase the
three factors that affect sport; access, opportunity and esteem.
Though this may be seen as a disadvantage as well, funding is
distributed unequally, so the sports that have been commercialised are
funded more money due to their increase in popularity that comes with
commercialisation.
However, commercialisation allows people of all social statuses to
enjoy sport, as they are able to become spectators in their own living
rooms without setting foot in the stadium. This is because sport is
shown so much on television and there are many channels dedicated
solely to sport, Sky Sports for instance. Similarly...
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...d examples are Adrian Mutu, who was given a
six-month ban after he tested positive for cocaine, and Tony Adams
overcame his alcohol addiction and has set up a clinic for alcoholics.
Sportsmen and women are often exposed and splashed across the media,
of which tabloids are the most common.
Advertising is an important part of the commercialisation of sport,
however, this is not always fair. Larger companies are able to spend
more money on promotion and publicity, whereas smaller companies are
less able to do so, creating unfair competition. Another negative
aspect to emerge from the commercialisation of sport is hooliganism.
Using football as an example, there has been a massive increase of
hooliganism where competing teams or countries fight over superiority,
and in many cases people have been injured and even killed.
Greed and the Death of Professional Sports "Show me the money," screamed Rod. "C'mon Jerry, show me the money!" We vividly remember this famous line from the hit movie, Jerry Maguire. The greedy football player, Rod Tidwell, screams these unforgettable lines trying to convince his agent that he will not settle for any less than a top dollar salary as the flashy Arizona Cardinal wide receiver. This scene exemplifies what has happened to professional sports in recent years.
Professional sports were beginning to be organized in the 1850s. At this point, their salaries, although they were still higher than the average person’s, were not too outrageous. In the 1880s and 90s, baseball players in particular were making on average about $1,750 annually. Even though this was three times the salary of an industrial worker of the time, they were not happy with this amount of money and felt they should be earning more (Baseball n.d.). In the 1970s, the worlds of professional sports took a drastic turn. According to an article by J.L. Carnagie, “Two words described sports in the 1970s: big business. Owners and athletes in major professional team sports knew there was money to be made in their games, and they went after it.” (Carnagie, n.d.) Athletes, especially, realized how competitive teams were becoming, and they were well aware that talent was in high demand. In the beginning of 1980s, the best athletes were demanding even more money; and the majority of the time, they got what they wanted. By end of the 1980s, many athletes were making over a million dollars (Carnagie, n.d.) These increasing salaries were very ironic because when professional sports began they were intended to be a showcase of players’ talent and athletic ability. Professional sports leagues were also supposed to be similar to the Olympics in that they would be free of politics and influence of society. However, by the 80s, they had become all about the star athletes and how much money they could make. By this point, professional sports had evolved into an industry that was focused on entertainment and money, rather than the sports actually being played (Carnagie, n.d.).
The Reasons Behind the Increasing Commercialism of the Olympic Games The Olympic Games is a world wide event, held once every 4 years. It is the most important event amongst the elite athletes of today. It is viewed on television by billions of people across the world, by satellite transmission (started in Tokyo in 1964). This worldwide viewing attracted sponsors as they realised that by supporting the Olympics their product would be advertised on every product sold, as they would be the 'official sponsor'. The advances in technology has played a fundamental role in the increase in commercialism, as large sums of money are put forwards for television rights over the Games from companies such as Sky, the BBC and ABC.
Motocross is one of youngest sports in the world. While being one of the youngest, it is also one of the pioneering action sports and has seen major growth over the last half century. The sport has the most comprehensive coverage on broadcast networks like NBC, Fox Sports and CBS Sports that it has ever experienced. One of the biggest events of the year is the “Motocross of Nations” or “MXon”, consisting of teams from roughly 40 countries. MXoN is sanctioned is sanctioned by FIM and promoted by Youthstream, both motocross affiliated companies headquartered in Europe. The race is usually held in Europe, other than being hosted in the United States three times in 1987, 2007 and 2010. Due to the growth in popularity for the sport, companies are seeking to sponsor riders and teams while promoters are looking to sponsor series and events that bring in millions of dollars in TV and events. There are many other growing sports that have taken the sports marketing world for a loop such as lacrosse, Nascar, and surf. Sports marketing plays a huge part in all of these sports. Behind all of the money, advertisements, and endorsements there are hard working people that have love and desire for what they do. These people are sports marketers. An article titled “Career and Professional Development: Sports Marketing” briefly explains what a sports marketer is, what they do, and how they can vary in the field. For example, necessary characteristics and skills include communication, organization, self-confidence, and interpersonal.The article “Overview of Careers in Sports Marketing” identifies qualities and skills of a sports marketer including an innovative mind and a competitive mindset. The online PDF “The Strategic Sport Marketing Planning Pr...
The Current Scale and the Economic Importance of the Sports Industry Over 100 years ago the scale of the sports industry has increased gradually. Not all sports have followed in the same path or footsteps. A slow increasing level of control has been affecting the sports industry since 1960Â’s. Mainly standardisation and commodification of sport. More money has been put into the industry equivalent with the efforts that the sports organisations have put in, to increase their potential at the professional end of the scale, and the voluntary end they remain sustainable.
I have choosen to use th XFL as a marketing vehicle for my energy/supplement bar. The XFL has been able to position itself as a fast paced hardcore football league. The nature of the leage would compliment the nature of my product in that people will assosiate my product with the action on the field. The league is focusing on a younger active audience and that is the same target market that I am looking to reach with my product. The high awareness and anticipation for the league makes this an ideal time for my product to be introduced to the market.
1. It has become much harder to identify the true and amateur-taught values around sport in our culture. The passion for competition, the aspect of a team, and the actions of sportsmanship are deep values that sports act to instill. It becomes one of the most important ways to teach those values to our young and unfortunately is becoming easy to forget. Throughout the semester we scrutinized sports, looking at their influence, role, and meaning in our American society today. Two foundations to view sport, critical and functionalist theory, were brought upon early in the semester, laying groundwork for looking at the rest of the topics. To better understand these two view points a working definition of each is needed. The three C’s of: capitalism, coercion and commercialism help describe the critical/conflict theory and view of sport in our United States. When looking with this viewpoint some of sport’s purposes in society include, promoting and expanding capitalistic drives as well as showing the power and privilege of elite groups within society. (Coakley, 2001) On the contrary the ...
Most retailers know that the appearance of their stores plays a big part in determining consumer behavior. As such, they seek to use it to their advantage. Sport Chek sells various types of sports merchandise mainly to middle and upper class citizens of Canada. The company has many stores and online portals. The design of the stores communicates to customers that goods in the store are of high quality. Therefore, customers come with the expectation to pay a premium. The main elements that the store uses to influence consumer behavior include the choice of construction materials, careful choice of colors and shapes, and creative use of lighting. These elements have an impact on the affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses of potential customers. The channel strategy used by the company is effective because of Sport Chek’s strong brand name. The company can benefit more from a better channel strategy for its online shopping portal that can help it to take advantage of the global high-end sports market.
Soccer is a religion to many in the world. It is interpreted in many different ways, became a lifestyle and family to millions of people. If soccer is a religion, money has become it's undisputed god in the 21st century. Money lives and thrives throughout the sport of soccer in many ways. Whether people like it or not it is on jerseys and stadiums, in the player's mind, and the owners grasp. Some of the biggest clubs in the world are products of brilliant branding of the club's name. This is achieved through lucrative owners and presidents, but when does money become too much of a distraction and a problem for the sport? There is a very fine line between using and abusing money in the sport today.
There are many repercussions that are projected upon both men and women when they enter into a sport that typically isn’t thought of as gender appropriate. Some of those cultural and social stigmatisms may be abandonment by your peers, and friends questions regarding your sexuality, and even in some cases criticism as to how you are living your life. In some cases, it may lead to you not being accepted by either group, theone whose norems you are not following, of as well as the one with whom you are trying to get involved. This paper will address all of these issues and how these seemingly negative situations can, will, and are, leading to growth. It will also discuss how this is a situation where repercussions are not just in the sports arena, but is prevalent in everyday life, in areas far beyond that of sport.
Football is the most obvious sport whose commercial value has been tainted by the actions of its players. While the game still attracts multimillion-pound investment from brands due to the massive media spotlight it enjoys, many are questioning the wisdom of their associations in light of a seemingly never-ending stream of negative headlines.
While sports for the spectators are merely entertainment, the economics of the industry are what drives businesses to become involved. Sports have become more of a business entity rather than an entertainment industry due to the strong economic perception of the over all industry. There are several instances in which economics may contribute to the effect on the sports industry, such as: the success of a team, the price of a ticket, the amount of money an athlete will make, and the amount of profit a team will make. The success of an...
As the retail industry is confronted with extraordinary challenges (Deloitte LLP, 2011), firms are facing increased competition. Porters leading authority on competitive strategy is largely accountable for the increased importance to a firm’s strategy. The retail industry is becoming highly saturated as the world is becoming smaller; this point alone makes strategy a vital component to a firms success.
It is a business in which owners and players attempt to coincide. It is a business where TV controls fan interest. It is also a business that affects many people's lives, both monetary and living aspects. There are many aspects that are involved in the economics of sport. Each one has unique qualities that add to the greatest source of entertainment.
Sport Obermeyer is a high-end fashion skiwear design and merchandising company headquartered in Aspen, Colorado. Over the years, Sports Obermeyer has developed into a dominant competitor. Sports Obermeyer's estimated sales in 1992 were $32.8 million. The company holds 45% share of children's skiwear and 11% of adult Skiwear market. Sport Obermeyer produces merchandise ranging from: parkas, vests, ski suits, shells, ski pants, turtlenecks, and accessories. These products are sold throughout U.S. department stores in urban areas and ski shops. With increasing demands and rising competition, Sport Obermeyer needs to have an edge on the market. Starting in 1985 with a joint venture in Hong Kong called Obersport, the company began to increase productivity to meet their new demands. Recently, a number of contractual ventures were added and a new complex in Lo Village Guangdong China have enhance production but increase the level of difficulty on the planning and production stages. The Sport Obermeyer case describes the forecasting, planning and production processes of a global skiwear supply channel. The case provides an in-depth description of the planning and production processes Sport Obermeyer and its supply channel partners undergo each year to develop and deliver Obermeyer's product line. The case will emphasis on the nature of the information that flows among the members of the supply chain and the timing of key decisions and events in order to have a successful inventory line.