Commercialisation

Characteristics of commercial sport:

• Professional sport
• sponsorship/business
• entertainment
• contracts
• athletes are commodities
• high levels of media coverage
• winning + success

Advantages

• Increase in wages/prize money/extrinsic rewards/ increased sponsorship
• Performers become well known/role models
• Increased participation/increased spectators
• Money to provide better facilities/better equipment/training support/better coaches
• Performers able to train full-time
• Increase in number of events/competitions

Disadvantages

• Increase in deviant behaviour/cheating/doping/violent play
• Not all sports benefit/money mainly goes to popular sports
• Sport loses control/organisation of events/corporate hospitality taking tickets
• Over-reliance on money as income
• Rules alter/format altered/forced to turn from amateur to professional
• Greater pressure/expectation on performers to win

Advantages

• Players/teams of higher standard/increased excitement of watching role models
• Better quality facilities/ bigger stadiums/team merchandise to create team loyalty
• Increased number of competitions/opportunities to watch events
• Rules changed to create extra excitement/interest
• less incorrect decisions by officials/increased excitement waiting for correct decision 

Disadvantages

• Traditional nature of sport changed/viewing experience altered
• Breaks in play for adverts/commercials/decisions of officials
• Less tickets available/higher ticket prices
• Match fixing
• Start times/kick-off times arranged to maximise viewing figures
• Minority sports receive less coverage/major sports dominate the television schedules

Advantages

• sport is promoted thorugh extra publicity 
• sponsorship helps create atmosphere at events
• sports are organised better
• improved facilities benefit performer and spectator

Disadvantages

• sponsors gain control over timing, seasons, location of events
• sports rely too heavily on sponsors - withdrawals can be disastrous
• sport becomes associated with product - may not be desirable

Advantages

• creates role models/personalities
• draws attention to top level sport/raises profile of sport
• breaks are an ideal for sponsors to advertise
• competition formats have changed e.g. 20/20 cricket more exciting

Disadvantages

• minority sports suffer because of lack of interest
• needs of television have altered match timings
• highlights personalities rather than team effort
• possible loss of gate money - more people watching via tv

Advantages

• Greater profile/public awareness of their role
• Increased salary/job opportunities
• Greater funding from media rights to develop players/team/squad/ support systems
• Easier to analyse opposition
• Learn from other coaches

Disadvantages

• Greater pressure/expected to produce results 
• Greater expectation to deal with media/answer questions/invasion of privacy
• Hire and fire culture/easier to lose job
• Coaches at clubs/sports with less coverage have less funding
• Coaches at clubs/sports with less coverage find it harder to attract performers
• Media allows opposition access to team tactics 

Advantages

• Ensure correct decisions are made/fair competition/less controversy
• Helps officials communicate with each other
• Less pressure on official to make the final judgement/less post-match criticism
• Creates excitement in crowd waiting for decision/allows players to officially challenge decisions

Disadvantages

• Technology can’t be used for everything/over reliance on technology/lose respect for officials
• Specific technology used must be accurate/high level of reliability
• Changes the nature of the sport
• Cost limits use of technology at events/not consistent for all players or spectators
• Breaks in play can be disruptive for spectators if too long