The business aspect of the sports industry


By Paula Sanz    10-Apr-2014 01:04 UTC+02:00

moneyWhile sport continues to provide endless drama, tension and excitement for billions of fans across the world to savour, many forms have transformed into a business where the level of income has become an integral component. Sports, such as football and rugby, continue to be predominately based upon the game and its unique qualities, but traditional values have been replaced by a growing number of companies who have influenced significant changes within each sport.

Football is arguably the greatest example of a sport that has been transformed through its business aspects; gone are the days when every fixture kicked off at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, with television broadcasters altering the football calendar to allow for live matches to be shown across television sets. Football clubs earn a percentage of the overall deal agreed between football associations and television broadcasters, but the clubs themselves must utilise effective marketing strategies to generate additional income in order to operate and grow. Every sports club and organisation depends on generated income via sponsorship deals to promote their brand across the world and remain financially solvent. While sports enthusiasts continue to predict the outcome across football, rugby tennis and other events through sites like http://www.gamblingafrica.com and others, the industry continues to evolve through its business revenues that make a big difference.

TV Channels

Television has long remained an invaluable medium in the sports industry to provide millions of avid fans with the opportunity to watch their favourite sports on a TV set. While sporting events can be viewed from the comfort of your own home, pubs and bars have realised the potential for attracting big crowds by purchasing television sets, accompanied with satellite subscriptions, to be used to screen sports. It contributes towards bringing sports fans and communities together in one venue to enjoy the drama unfold on television screens, with major sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup and Olympics attracting huge viewing figures. More importantly for the industry, the emergence of business deals between sporting authorities and television broadcasting companies has created a considerable influx of money into sport which continues to grow in value. The £455 million deal between Formula 1 and Sky perfectly illustrates the vast amounts that are being spent by television broadcasters who compete against each other to increase their profile and, more importantly, viewing figures.

Team clothing

The formulation of business partnership between companies and sports teams is built upon interdependency through the need for both parties to enhance their brand in the public domain and market themselves on a global scale. Part of the agreement often involves the inclusion of the company logo upon merchandising, advertising boards and team clothing. The latter is arguably the most important form of sponsorship as live sporting events allow fans who pay to sit in a stadium or watch on television to clearly see a company’s logo emblazoned across many items, such as shirts, jackets, shorts and trousers. Football and rugby teams regularly agree sponsorship deals with major companies who pay huge sums of money to have their logo placed on the team’s clothing, while other sports such as Formula 1 include sponsors across many areas of each driver’s overalls to illustrate the considerable number of invaluable partnerships established by every team. Brand exposure is further enhanced through the availability of replica shirts and jerseys within sports merchandise shops which include the main clothing sponsor, and are worn by millions of fans across the world.

Betting

The gambling industry continues to thrive in the 21st Century as billions of rand are spent every year by punters who strive to hit the jackpot and make a considerable profit. Casino games remain amongst the most prominent form of gambling, with the emergence of online casinos and gaming apps providing gamblers with more opportunities to enjoy playing their favourite odds-based games. Sports betting has also risen to prominence to accompany casino games as the most popular gambling vices currently available. The unique beauty of placing bets on sporting events is that punter can enjoy a multitude of markets that cover every sport, whether it is football, snooker, tennis or athletics, which keeps sports fans on the edge of their seat. Its considerable popularity has transformed sports betting into a prominent business, with daily events, fixtures and matches providing punters with regular opponents to make predictions in the hope of winning considerable amounts of money.


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