1. Commercialisation of Sport
Unit 4

2. Americanisation of Sport
Contents
Commercialisation Key terms Why Sport? The Golden Triangle Effects on sporting performers Effects on the sport. Is commercialisation a good thing? Ethical Implications Historical and social developments
Technology in sport
Effect on performer
Effect on Spectators
Effect on officials
Americanisation of Sport
American Sport
Impact of Americanisation
Olympism
Significant moments in Olympic history
Los Angeles 1984

3. Commercialisation Key terms
Advertising
Using sport to promote goods or services for sale in order to make it more well known
Sponsorship
Provision of funds or other forms of support to an individual or event in return for some commercial benefits.
Endorsement
Giving approval to a product or service and receiving payment in return.
Merchandising
The practice in which the brand or image from one product is used to sell another, usually by professional sports teams and their players.

4. Why Sport?
Why is sport so popular?
Cheap form of entertainment- No actors etc.
Can be left for a few minutes without losing the ‘plot’
All elements of the best entertainment shows
Improvements in technology have encouraged development...
Action replays
SKY+
Sport Apps- BBC Sport, Sky Sports News etc.
The use of sport as mass entertainment encouraged the realisation that by selling their sport to the highest bidder they could make money.

5. The Golden Triangle More money comes into sport
Increases the quality of sport
Increases Sponsorship demands
More money come into the Sport
Increases the quality of the sport

6. Effects on Sporting performers….
Positives
Professionalisation
Increased Wages
Better training facilities
Increased opportunities for events
Role Model Status
Negatives
Increased pressure to win
Increasing amount of deviance
Not all Sports benefit
Over-reliance on money
Intrusion into personal life

7. Effects on the sport...
Media coverage is now a necessary part of elite sport, however, those who lack it struggle to keep going…
NGBs may concentrate on more exciting events in their sport to create money
This can then be put back into grass roots level to increase participation
Tewenty-20 Cricket
Changes to start times to ensure greatest number of spectators
Often to suit European timings
Structure of tournaments adapted- More teams qualify
More interest globally - Prolongs competition
US TV companies control Olympic broadcasting (Beijing)
100m Final ran at 10:30 local time (3.30pm in Europe and Breakfast time in USA)
Huge gender imbalance with Male sport dominating
Seen as more skilful and exciting

8. Is commercialisation of sport a good thing?
Yes No
Creates role models, personalities and heroes
Draws attention to top-level sport
Aids sponsorship
Improves quality of sport
Increases numbers of competitions
Improve Grass roots participation
Provides entertainment and education
Limits participation to a few male sports
Sensationalises issues
Highlights personalities rather than team
Possibility of boredom due to amount of coverage
Minority sports suffer due to lack of interest
Possible los of gate money
Needs of TV may dictate to sport

9. Sponsorship- Ethical implcations
Positive
Negative
Promotes individual teams
Allows performer to train longer
Development of new competitions
Development of better facilities and equipment
Attracts highest class performers
Generates media interest
Covers expenses of sport
Attention on high profile individuals or teams only
Product association is an intrusion into sport
Sponsors can gain too much control over sport
Sponsors may influence choice of performers
Sponsors can give a bad image
Sponsors will control timings to ensure peak audiences

10. Historical and Social developments
Amateurism
Traditional status of Gentleman Amateur was much above early professional
-Outdated view now with professional sport being the pinnacle.
Broken time payments
Allowed people to retain Amateur status but were compensated for their loss of earnings whilst competing
Lots of opposition from “Gentleman Amateur” who disapproved
Started the movement to allow professionalism
Spectatorism
People who were unable to take part wanted to be involved and so watched
- Eventually idea of charging people came in

11. Technology in Sport
“Sport reflects Society” and we are in an age of ever advancing technology Faster, Higher, Stronger....

12. Performers and the Sport
Impact of technology…
Performers and the Sport
Fewer fixtures called off
Correct result
Reduced risk of injury
Improved performance analysis
Nature of Sport changed
Technology not available to all
Video replays used as a tactic
Expensive
Spectators
Variety of viewing opportunities
Comfortable viewing from home
Accuracy of results
Excitement of decision
More predictable results
Breaks in play
Less atmosphere
Less “Discussion” points
Officials
Highly accurate
Less pressure to make decisions
Better communication
Correct decisions made
Over reliance on technology
Expensive- not always available
Breaks in play- Disruptive
Undermine decisions made

13. Americanisation
The influence American sport has on the values of sport in other countries. High School sport Would this happen in the UK? Cricket but not as we know it...

14. American Sport
Lombaridan Ethic “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing and it doesn’t matter how you win as long as you do” Contradicts to traditional Victorian Ethos of Sport in the UK “It’s the taking part that counts” Modern day sport in the UK has been heavily influenced by America…

15. Impact of Americanisation
Increased earning potential
Advertising around grounds and stadium sponsors
Franchising of clubs- Businesses rather than teams
Rule Changes- To make matches more “viewer friendly”
Scheduling changes- Matches played during peak viewing times
Increased Professionalism at lower levels of performance
Increased Gamesmanship and Cheating
Pressure to win- Playing through injuries
Increased Scholarships to Schools and Universities
Minority sports struggle to attract players
Fixtures played around the world- Attract larger audiences

16. Olympism Olympic ideals…
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well” Barron Pierre De Coubertin
Olympic ideals…
Respect for all
Excellence
Friendship
Equality of opportunity
Free from political interference
Free from the abuse of drugs

17. Significant moments in Olympic History…
Mexico City 1968
Munich 1972
Montreal 1976
Black Power salute in response to Racism
Showed the world what a platform the Olympics could be
Tommie Smith (1st) and John Carlos (3rd) both had lifetime bans
Attack on Israeli athletes from Palestinian terrorists
Further demonstrated the political platform of the Olympics.
Increased security at future Olympics
Overspent on facilities and mismanaged the legacy of them
Debt being paid off by local citizens for 30+ years
Influenced future host nations to be more considerate of funding

18. Seen as the Blueprint for a successful modern Olympics
Los Angeles 1984
Few cities applied to host- only competition was Tehran who eventually withdrew. American Government refused to financially support the event (Legacy of Montreal)
Peter Ueberroth took charge of the project, enlisting the support of many successful businessmen as well as creating the “LA84” brand
Sold the TV rights for $225 million
Corporate sponsorship deals offered
Upgrade existing venues rather than building new ones
Seen as the Blueprint for a successful modern Olympics
Video