When sport meets business (2017)

Sport today means Big Business. Now a major global industry at the professional level, it has been commercialised beyond recognition, and especially in our all-branded zeitgeist of the Internet and social media. It is therefore essential that those studying, researching and working in professional sports understand this central development and can critically engage with the now unavoidable business orientation of their field. Written by an array of European-based contributors and focussing on European sports and case studies, this book includes up-to-date scholarly research and policy, and draws on a range of disciplines including management, marketing, economics, sociology and cultural studies. Chapters include:

• topics such as corruption and match-fixing, right deals, merchandising and sponsorships;
• coverage of historical developments, current challenges, critiques and future directions;
• detailed case studies on engaging topics such as the FIFA scandals and the 2012 London Olympics.

The book is relevant to anyone trying to understand what happens ‘when sport meets business’, including students, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and especially those based within a European of Commonwealth country.