This book brings together, for the first time under a single cover, international comparisons of the major topics in sports economics. Contributors are all renowned scholars of the international sports scene in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, the Pacific Rim, North America, and Europe. The reader will find an overview of sports in particular countries and regions along with comparisons along the major topics of economic importance. In particular, the contributions compare and contrast revenues and costs, labor markets (restrictions and discrimination), market structures (league and association organizations) and outcomes (team profitability and competitive balance), and policy issues (especially competition policy). Aimed primarily at sports scholars, practicing sports professionals, and policymakers, the volume is also well suited for undergraduate sports economics, sports management, and sports law courses.

This revised and updated edition of The Economic Theory of Professional Team Sports elaborates on the themes of the successful first edition of this book.

This book is a collection of ten essays, which are the result of the "Conference on Sports Economics: Rottenberg's Golden Anniversary" at the University of Oviedo in Gijón, Spain (28-29 April 2006), held on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of an article by Simon Rottenberg in the "Journal of Political Economy" titled "The Baseball Players' Labor Market". The essays can be grouped into three broad themes: the economic impact of sport and the economic analysis of public policies with regard to sport; the economic analysis of professional sports; and the analysis of European football and its future perspectives.

"Updated and expanded, Principles and Practice of Sport Management, Third Edition offers a comprehensive introduction to the sport management industry. From the basic knowledge and skill sets of a sport manager to the current trends and issues of the sport management industry, this text provides the foundation for students as they study and prepare for a variety of sport management careers. Many well-known sport industry professionals contribute chapters that show students how to apply their new knowledge and skills. These experts provide firsthand advice on sport industry segments ranging from high school to the international arena. Students gain a solid understanding of sport management structures and learn to apply principles such as sport ethics to the many segments and support systems of the industry."--Book Jacket.

The wealth of data available on sports makes the industry a singular laboratory for observing economic and business behavior and theory. This unique reference on sports economics research provides a detailed perspective on the current state of the discipline. Covering both team and individual sports that include tennis, golf, and motor racing, the handbook explores what we know, what we do not know, what is stable, what is changing, what is certain, and what is controversial in sports economics. The expert contributors address issues in particular sports or comparisons among sports along major topics such as revenue and costs, labor markets, market structure, market outcomes, and public policy.

This book cuts through the jargon and complicated formulae to focus on the key concepts in sports economics, introducing the fundamentals in a concise and engaging way to give the reader without a background in economics the tools with which to read and apply sports economics in their work. Full of real-world cases and stories, the book offers a short economic history of sport and explains the economic foundations of the world of sport today, from local leagues to mega-events. Covering both amateur and professional sports, it explores and explains the most important issues in contemporary sports economics, from player transfer markets and the rise of women’s sports to the spending behaviour of fans and the growing shadow of corruption. A fascinating read for any student, researcher or practitioner working in sport, or for the general reader who wants to understand the background to many of the most important stories in sport today, this is the only book on sports economics that you will ever need.

This timely book offers a critical interpretation of the traditional social and economic accounts of sport. It provides an incisive analysis of professional sport and defines alternative foundations to the present model. The authors demonstrate that professional sport is an extremely complex phenomenon encompassing many unique factors depending on its global reach, financing and organization. In particular they address three significant issues: • an analysis of the relationship between sport and economic development in order to explain the place of professional sport in modern societies • a study of the main difficulties facing the organization of professional sports in terms of financing, collective bargaining and the consequences of revenue sharing for competitive balance • an exploration of alternatives to current governance structures which would involve a return to professional ethics. This insightful and topical book is essential for academics and students of sport management, researchers of the economics of sport, managers of clubs and federations involved in professional sports, as well as civil servants and journalists.

The editors should be commended for taking on such a big task, and succeeding so well. This book should be in the library of every institution where students have to write a paper that may be related to sport, or on the shelf of any lecturer teaching economics or public finance who has even a remote interest in sport. The material is very accessible, and useful in many different settings. Ruud H. Koning, Jahrbücher f. Nationalökonomie u. Statistik Edward Elgar s brilliant market niche is identifying a topic in economics, finding editors who know the area backwards and challenging them to assemble the best cross-section of relevant articles either already published or newly commissioned. Handbook on the Economics of Sport is Edward Elgar at its very best. If you love economics you ll find many fascinating insights here; if you love sport but know little economics then this book is mostly accessible and will teach you a lot; and if you are a sports-mad economist then you will be in hog heaven. Furthermore, if, like this reviewer, you are broadly very sceptical about the reports consultants produce for governments on the supposed economic windfall from hosting a big event or subsidising a stadium then you will get a lot of good counter-arguments in this volume. Indeed there are several chapters on the above theme that I m sure I ll be copying frequently to government officials in years to come. . . The demand for sport is a fascinating subject and it is hard to pick out just one chapter from the second section. Read them all they make a wonderful 65-page treat. . . Part VI was a real feast, a smorgasbord. . . This is a magnificent piece of work and the 36-page index rounds it all off splendidly. John Blundell, Economic Affairs The book covers the most important areas of research of an emerging economic sub-discipline spanning the past half a century. It serves admirably the purpose of an introduction into the rich and growing area of reflection for all concerned. . . the editors and authors of the Handbook have done a commendable job of accumulating sophisticated material for many economists, managers, politicians and self-conscious fans, who are sure to find excellent training ground for the whole heptathlon. . . This book will be invaluable for advanced students investigating professional sport. From the point of view of lawyers, particularly those engaged with the relationship between law and sports governance, the Handbook offers invaluable analysis of the economic issues that are alluded to in those debates but rarely examined in detail. . . These insights will also prove useful for policy analysts and sports administrators for whom many sections should be considered mandatory reading. Aleksander Sulejewicz, Journal of Contemporary European Research Over 800 pages on the economics of sport. What a feast! What a treat! The editors have done a wonderful job both in terms of breadth from David Beckham to child labour in Pakistan and depth, tournaments and luxury taxes for example. . . The 86 chapters are uniformly of a very high standard and illuminating. And there are real gems in some of the contributions. British Journal on the Economics of Sport This very interesting and comprehensive book achieves its objective, namely to present an overview of research in sports economics at an introductory level. . . [The editors] have produced an excellent reference book that belongs in all academic institutions libraries. It provides extensive introduction to the growing body of literature in the rising field of economics of sport. The book s relevant monographs should be read by institutions, cities and countries prior to their committing major resources towards sports facilities or a sporting event. James Angresano, Journal of Sports Economics One could think of this book as the sports-and-economics counterpart to Joy of Cooking, because it will satisfy the needs of those with a keen interest in such subjects as the

This interesting book discusses the emergence and development of five extremely popular team sports OCo baseball, basketball, football-soccer, ice hockey and cricket OCo since the 1800s in 15 different countries. It addresses some of the most provocative, recent and unique economic and business issues associated with team sports in the various nations. For example, to what extent has each of these spectator sports prospered as industries, and will they expand into other regions of the world during the early to mid-2000s? This book answers these questions, and compares the performances of each country''s amateur, semiprofessional and/or professional sports leagues and their respective teams by providing detailed statistics and other relevant historical information."

The editors of The SAGE Handbook of Sports Economics have brought together a global team of respected scholars to create this benchmark collection of insights into the field of sports economics.