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Previous approaches to design archetypes in sport management have taken a single-country, multisport approach with a focus on National Sporting Organizations. While this line of research has provided significant breakthroughs for understanding sport organizations, there is a need to extend the boundaries of these investigations to explore variations within professional leagues in one sport and across multiple countries. Accordingly, the current study takes a single-sport, multicountry approach to explore how design archetypes vary and the factors influencing the variation. We analyzed the design archetypes of 104 professional football leagues using 44 organizational variables and identified four different design archetypes that can be used to categorize professional football leagues globally. Autonomy and openness were identified as the key factors determining design archetype structure in this environment. Our analysis of professional football league archetypes provides a foundation for understanding design archetype variation, and the insights can be used for comparison and analysis of meaningful change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As sport league brands have increasingly extended their marketing activities into foreign countries, international brand positioning has become a relevant research topic. In this research, we introduce and examine the concept of bicultural brand positioning, an approach that combines a sport league's connection to its home country with target-country associations. We integrate bicultural identity theory with the literature on brand benefits to propose two types of bicultural brand positioning: functional versus symbolic. Three experiments, using the National Football League and German satellite fans as the empirical context, provide evidence that bicultural brand positioning incorporating functional (vs. symbolic) benefits for the satellite fans increases bicultural brand image integration, defined as the perceived compatibility of combining the two country cultures, and has positive indirect effects on intentions to use the brand and positive word of mouth. These effects are driven by increased perceptions of cultural authenticity of the brand and brand convenience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sport industry is at an inflection point where all major professional sport leagues in North America are struggling to attract the same avid fans, once a staple within the industry. Furthermore, not only are the number of avid fans decreasing, the average age of avid sport fans is increasing. In other words, the current state of the sport industry indicates that fans are decreasing in number while simultaneously aging out of traditional professional sports. The current study aimed to investigate the ability of a traditional sport, NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) in this case, to utilize an esport, iRacing, to attract new and more diverse fans. Through a partnership with Zoomph, Twitter content was analyzed and revealed the shift from traditional racing to iRacing by NASCAR. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it assisted them in attracting new, more diverse fans whose sentiment on Twitter was positive. Overall, the current study demonstrated that traditional sport properties may be well served by tapping into the esport space in an authentic way to enhance their core product(s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research in the social media and sport domain continues to uncover key insights related to content, there has been a push toward identifying the social media metrics that serve as the antecedents to relationship marketing engagement. Along that vein, the purpose of this study was to analyze social media activity (i.e., impressions and engagements) from all teams in a given professional sport league over a 3-year period. Contextually set with Major League Soccer teams for the 2017, 2018, and 2019 calendar years, 66,745 Instagram posts were retrieved using MVPindex and parsed for focal social media metrics (i.e., impressions and engagements) for each team using a temporal lens (i.e., by month and by day). Findings of this study align with past work indicating the need for sport properties to focus on posting outside of game-day windows, harnessing the ongoing, instantaneous nature of social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the significance of fun and solidarity in constructing national belonging. Drawing inspiration from Erving Goffman's analysis of social occasions, the article examines the establishment of an Irish‐American Gaelic Athletic League in New York City from 1904 to 1916. Tracing the gradual shaping of the games, it shows how organizers used sporting competitions to draw participants and regulate the interactions between immigrants from different counties in Ireland. Successful regulation of the games allowed immigrants from various counties in Ireland to engage each other in a spirit of friendly competition and develop solidarity. Far from being an obstacle to national belonging, these differences became the basis for fun sociability, leading to broad Irish belonging and pride. The enjoyment derived from participation in well‐regulated occasions contributes to the formation of social bonds and solidarity among potential members, ultimately fostering national identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This analysis examines the impact of new stadiums on consumer demand for sports spectatorship in the four major US‐based professional sports leagues. Estimates from difference‐in‐differences event studies identify a transitory attendance shock from new venues that diminishes to pre‐stadium‐treatment levels within a decade. The updated estimates confirm the existence of the novelty effect in modern facilities and identify subtle differences in magnitude, certainty, and duration across leagues. Revenue estimates indicate that the substantial financial returns from constructing new stadiums likely incentivize the premature replacement of host venues when combined with typical public subsidy levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trading picks is a common transaction observed in sporting leagues that employ player drafts. However, many current and revised draft formats employed by professional leagues allow for the trading of picks in the current year for those in the future. This in turn raises a question of an appropriate rate of discount which can be used to account for the delay in relinquishing current picks for those in the future. This study proposes a discount rate function in the Australian Football League based on the difference between a player's contribution to his team in his first season to that of his career. The findings reveal a varying discount rate that decreases with the progression of the draft ranging between 42% and 51%, given the increasing deviation of post draft outcomes in the same range. Furthermore, after discounting said picks for four years, the variance in pick reduced considerably as poor performers are delisted after their initial contract period. Upon adopting the model to evaluate previous trades, it is evident that almost all parties infer a higher value on current year selections than future selections (discounting future picks by up to 120%), seeking instant returns over deferred options. Hence, a decision maker trying to capitalise on pick value only would be better off deferring the right to choose in the current year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the current research is to identify: -The level of administrative and financial stability of the clubs in the Iraqi Premier Basketball League from the perspective of the members of the administrative bodies. -The level of organizational prosperity and its dimensions of the clubs in the Iraqi Premier Basketball League from the perspective of the members of the administrative bodies. -The relationship between administrative and financial stability and organizational prosperity of the clubs in the Iraqi Premier Basketball League. The research population consisted of members of the administrative bodies of the sports clubs participating in the Iraqi Premier Basketball League for the sports season 2023-2024, totaling 110 administrative body members. To achieve the research objectives, the researchers adapted the administrative and financial stability scale developed by (Al-Sufi, 2022) and constructed a scale for organizational prosperity. Statistical methods used for reaching the results included (mean, standard deviation, simple correlation coefficient, t-test). The researchers concluded a number of findings, the most important of which is that administrative and financial stability positively reflects on the reality of administrative development and organizational prosperity in the clubs of the Iraqi Premier Basketball League. The researchers recommend that the management of the clubs in the Iraqi Premier Basketball League should increase their focus on administrative and financial stability to enhance the level of organizational prosperity, which would reflect in achieving outstanding results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Definition: This entry provides a review of economic models of professional sports leagues with and without revenue sharing. These include models that assume profit-maximizing and win-maximizing (sportsmen) club owners. Both approaches predict that revenue sharing will reduce the demand for player talent, depress player salaries, and transfer revenue from large-market to small-market clubs, but they differ on league parity effects. Empirical work has been sparse due to financial data limitations and has not yielded definitive results on the parity issue. Despite the growing awareness of sports economics in the sports industry, the lack of consensus from theoretical models has resulted in sports leagues searching for an optimal revenue sharing policy. The difficulty in providing consistent policy prescriptions in models that incorporate revenue sharing, salary caps, and other league policies has made economic modeling of sports leagues very difficult and complex. While revenue sharing remains an interesting theoretical modeling issue, it has not bridged the gap to real-world league policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem definition: Professional sports leagues may be suspended because of various reasons, such as the recent coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. A critical question that the league must address when reopening is how to appropriately select a subset of the remaining games to conclude the season in a shortened time frame. Despite the rich literature on scheduling an entire season starting from a blank slate, concluding an existing season is quite different. Our approach attempts to achieve team rankings similar to those that would have resulted had the season been played out in full. Methodology/results: We propose a data-driven model that exploits predictive and prescriptive analytics to produce a schedule for the remainder of the season composed of a subset of originally scheduled games. Our model introduces novel rankings-based objectives within a stochastic optimization model, whose parameters are first estimated using a predictive model. We introduce a deterministic equivalent reformulation along with a tailored Frank–Wolfe algorithm to efficiently solve our problem as well as a robust counterpart based on min-max regret. We present simulation-based numerical experiments from previous National Basketball Association seasons 2004–2019, and we show that our models are computationally efficient, outperform a greedy benchmark that approximates a nonrankings-based scheduling policy, and produce interpretable results. Managerial implications: Our data-driven decision-making framework may be used to produce a shortened season with 25%–50% fewer games while still producing an end-of-season ranking similar to that of the full season, had it been played. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.0558. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this article, we examine the Finnish football league attendance characteristics. Sport leagues usually claim that outcome uncertainty is necessary to maintain interest among fans. In this paper, uncertainty of outcome hypothesis is tested applying football data from the highest tier in Finnish men's football, currently known as Veikkausliiga. The time period covers 1947–2022. Empirical results show that Finnish football attendance is positively related to competitive balance between the rivalling teams. Increased alcohol consumption in the society is not related to football attendance, but we found that the number of games played during the season is positively related to ticket sales. Number of teams in the league seems to be negatively related to attendance. Further studies could investigate the time of the year, the condition of the stadium and the ticket pricing to see whether there is a correlation with on-site attendance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revenue sharing is a pervasive policy in professional sports leagues. While it is usually justified as promoting competitive balance, previous work has shown that it actually worsens balance in models where equilibrium outcomes are determined by contest success functions and when the league's goal is to maximize aggregate revenue. This paper offers an alternative justification for revenue sharing in such settings--namely, to balance two offsetting externalities: the "rent-seeking externality" and the "spillover externality." The first reflects the "race" to be first, and the second captures the value fans attach to overall league quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a zemiological perspective, organizations causing social harm in their pursuit of profit is a form of white-collar deviance. In the case of sport and violence committed by athletes outside of the field of play, the structures of professional sport and the decisions made by organizations can impact not only the athletes involved, but victims, potential victims and society at large. Interviewing National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL) front office members and journalists, I explore how teams in both elite professional sports leagues make player evaluation decisions regarding players who have been accused of criminality and violence against women, to assess sport organizations and leagues' role in the violence of athletes. Interviewees noted that the talent of the player, their ability to produce value for the organization, and the potential backlash from fans and media play a pre-eminent role in organizational decision-making. Paired with professional sport's privileging of dominance and aggression by athletes, this talent and production-based sanctioning of players accused of VAW illustrates organizational, league and capitalist sport structures' complicity in continued acts of violence by athletes. Implications for contemporary conceptualizations of deviant leisure and organizational white-collar crime are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Sports leagues have stood out in the entertainment industry due to their great economic value and cultural impact. This is the case of the American sports leagues, with emphasis on the National Basketball Association (NBA), whose largest Latin American market lies on Brazil. The aforementioned league's audience is constantly growing, a fact that can be partially explained by the encouragement provided for its viewers to interact through social media, in a phenomenon called social TV. Accordingly, the aim of the present study is to investigate how social TV works as a means for Brazilian fans to coproduce their NBA broadcasting enjoyment through social media interactions. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a netnography on the community of fans engaged in Twitter hashtag #NBAnaESPN, which was released by ESPN to promote audience integration during NBA games' broadcasting. Findings: A theorization about the role played by social TV in the way fan culture articulates through social media to enjoy broadcasting media products was herein presented. The findings of this study have evidenced three categories concerning the role played by television broadcasting, social media and the fandom in NBA consumption by Brazilian fans. Based on these findings, the authors got to the conclusion that social TV establishes a mediatized environment where fan culture can be articulated through social media to enable interactions about television broadcasting. Research limitations/implications: The study was limited to members of the Brazilian NBA audience who engage in the official social media of the league's broadcasting. Originality/value: The study heads toward a theoretical generalization based on the research results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UK university undergraduate programs are compared by independent subject-specific rankings (Complete, Guardian, and Times), based on data from the National Student Survey, Higher Education Statistics Agency, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, Research Excellence Framework, and the universities. The sports and exercise science program at the University of Glasgow has steadily risen to currently rank as the top UK program. This investigation aimed to identify the underlying factors that explain this. Therefore, we obtained underlying scores for entry standard, student satisfaction, research foundation, graduate prospects, staff-to-student ratio, expenditure/student, continuation, program support to students, and teaching quality from the ranking providers for years 2010–2024, and statistically modeled which factors significantly affected the rankings. We found that entry standards and graduate prospects strongly correlated significantly with ranking results. Principal component analysis indicated that a model of graduate prospects and entry standards explained 66.2% of the variance in ranking results. Multiple linear regression with all underlying factors included in the model indicated they explained 78% (R2 = 0.78) of the total variance, while stepwise elimination of insignificant factors identified graduate prospects as the sole factor that significantly affected outcome by explaining 71% (R2 = 0.71) of the variance. Therefore, the primary predictor of ranking success in UK university league tables for sports science is graduates' professional success (graduate prospects). NEW & NOTEWORTHY: University rankings are used by applicants and stakeholders to judge programs, including undergraduate studies. In the rankings, undergraduate UK programs are compared and contrasted against each other based on how they score for criteria that affect student life and future prospects. Here, we determined the relative influence of those criteria and found that graduate prospects, how students professionally benefit from their study after graduation, is the factor that matters most for the ranking results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research is based on a sample of 132 cadet basketball players (69 successful cadets and 63 less successful cadets) from 12 participating clubs of the Sarajevo Canton cadet basketball league. The main goal of the research was to determine the structure of the somatic characteristics of young cadet basketball players using a cross-section. The total sample of basketball players divided into two groups of cadet basketball players, divided according to quality, statistically significantly differ in the analyzed somatic parameters. The group of better quality basketball players has better values in all analyzed somatic characteristics. The sample of variables in this research consisted of a set of 14 measuring instruments used to assess the somatic characteristics of young basketball players. After determining, i.e. adjusting the data values to characteristics that are suitable and valid for the use of designed analyzes and providing exact answers to the defined hypotheses, the following procedures were used for data processing and analysis in this paper:-multivariate analysis of variance (Manova) to determine the differences between groups of successful and less successful basketball players by somatic characteristics; - univariate F tests to determine significance for classifying respondents into groups based on the level of their basketball performance. The results of this research can be useful to coaches for better programming of the training process in working with young basketball players, as well as a good basis for scientists for future research on populations of young basketball players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, financial markets of limited attention or visibility are expected to exhibit more inefficient asset prices. Such markets thus require eventual, increased trading to resolve these inefficiencies. In this study, we consider this financial framework within the sports gambling market for National Football League (NFL) games. We consider whether NFL games garnering less public attention are more likely to see larger movements in their betting lines. We consider games with smaller television audiences, with kickoff times shared with other contests, and between teams with smaller fanbases, to be indicative of less visibility. To test our model, we collected betting line data for all regular and postseason NFL football games from 2007–2021. Based on a sample of 3,756 games, our findings indicate more frequent and larger line movements in games with indications of less widespread attention, and many of these results are statistically significant. Our conjecture is that such differences in line movement levels may derive from the limited resources of oddsmakers being disproportionately focused on games with the most visibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Event portfolios are a useful way for destination managers to holistically manage their community's collection of events and, through strategic integration and common objectives, more effectively produce benefits. However, regular sport events such as those played by professional sport teams in a sport league have received little attention from event portfolio managers and researchers. Understanding the value and utility of sport team event assets can inform the successful integration of these events into event portfolios. This research used qualitative methods to examine how team asset components can contribute to achieving event portfolio objectives. The results have significance for event tourism researchers and practitioners and demonstrate that contributions are largely founded on the focal professional sport league structure, which provides constant content and regular communications with key target markets. Analysis of the findings led to the development of a model on the utility of including team events in an event portfolio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study analyzes the crisis response strategies used by the National Football League (NFL) in its external communications to address the concussion crisis spanning 2015–2020. The analysis focuses on describing the crisis communication strategies and tactics used by the league. Situational crisis communication theory provides the theoretical framework for analyzing the NFL's crisis response strategies. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted of 25 publications published by the NFL on nflcommunications.com, with findings indicating that the NFL focused on the primary crisis strategies of rebuilding and diminishing while employing tactics such as organizational change and shared responsibility. The findings revealed in this case study also highlight a discrepancy between the theoretical ground of situational crisis communication theory and the application of crisis response strategies in a real-life organizational crisis facing a professional sports league. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the problem of sharing the revenues from broadcasting sports leagues axiomatically. Our key axiom is anonymity, the classical impartiality axiom. Other impartiality axioms already studied in broadcasting problems are equal treatment of equals, weak equal treatment of equals and symmetry. We study the relationship between all impartiality axioms. Besides we combine anonymity with other axioms that have been considered in the literature. Some combinations give rise to new characterizations of well-known rules. The family of generalized split rules is characterized with anonymity, additivity and null team. The concede-and-divide rule is characterized with anonymity, additivity and essential team. Other and combinations characterize new rules that had not been considered before. We provide three characterizations in which three axioms are the same (anonymity, additivity, and order preservation) and the fourth one is different (maximum aspirations, weak upper bound, and non-negativity). Depending on the fourth axiom we obtain three different families of rules. In all of them concede-and-divide plays a central role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the pinnacle of football match key statistics as in‐play information for determining the match outcome of Europe's foremost leagues, namely those in England, Scotland, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, Belgium, Turkey, the Netherlands, and Greece. The study analyzed a sample of 98,849 matches across all sports leagues from the 2002/2003 to 2023/2024 seasons. Methods: The techniques employed include the zero‐inflated Poisson regression model and generalized ordered logit/partial proportional odds (gologit/ppo) models. Results: The findings revealed that, for both home and away teams, the number of shots, shots on target, corners, and the changes from one season to another, as well as the occurrence of Covid‐19, are factors that encourage goal scoring. On the other hand, fouls committed, yellow cards, and red cards act as limiting factors for goal scoring. The effects are higher in the full‐time play than in the halftime. However, the impact of the number of goals scored in the last match and the effect of Covid‐19 are negligible for the home and away teams, respectively. Moreover, when comparing the impacts specifically within home teams and within away teams, it was found that yellow and red cards are highly detrimental, while the positive impact of shots on target surpasses these and other factors in home teams. In contrast, for away teams, the negative impact of yellow and red cards is more significant than any other factor. Conclusion: Football match key statistics including the number of shots, shots on target, corners, change from one season to another, fouls committed, yellow cards, red cards, last match outcome, and occurrence of Covid‐19 are essential determinants of the match outcome whether a team is at home or way but the impact is higher during the second half of the play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: National surveys reveal that sports fans exhibit greater support for athletes, sports teams and leagues endorsing social justice initiatives compared to the general population, highlighting the potential of sports for positive social impact. This study investigates whether such responses are influenced by systematic biases. Design/methodology/approach: Replicating a Nielsen national survey, two experiments explore whether biases affect support for athletes' participation in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. The study also examines partisan motivated reasoning as a factor driving sports fans' support for BLM. Findings: While avid fans display stronger endorsement of BLM compared to causal/non-sports fans, evidence suggests that systematic biases distort these responses. When sport identity becomes salient, reported support for the BLM movement becomes inflated. Research limitations/implications: Researchers often employ self-report surveys to gauge audience perceptions of athlete activism or cause-related initiatives, particularly when assessing their impact. This study's findings indicate that this context is susceptible to SDB. Originality/value: The study underscores the role of systematic biases in self-report surveys, particularly in socially desirable contexts. People tend to over-report "positive behavior," leading survey participants to respond more favorably to questions that are socially desirable. Therefore, interpreting survey results with caution becomes essential when the research context is deemed socially (un)desirable. It is crucial for researchers to apply appropriate measures to identify and mitigate systematic response biases. The authors recommend that researchers adopt both procedural and statistical remedies to detect and reduce social desirability biases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Football is a massive business that has a global impact and involves significant financial transactions. The economic aspects related to player transfers have garnered substantial attention from scholars, analysts, and fans alike due to the substantial amounts of money involved in these transactions. The primary objective of this article is to expound upon the influential factors within the football transfer market, focusing on the top 100 most expensive players. Through the analysis of player positions, age, nationalities, leagues, and the clubs involved in these transfers, this study aims to highlight the significant factors that contribute to the valuation process and the overall dynamics of the market. The study highlights the significance of offensive players, as well as young players up to 25 years of age, who demonstrate a higher representation among the top 100 players. The global nature of the sport is reflected in the nationally diverse representation of players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study Stakeholder perception of the factors influencing the success of team sports in Guilan province. Methodology: Descriptive-survey research method being a field study was conducted. The statistical population of the study includes bosses, vice presidents, Secretaries and employees of Guilan province sport committees having representatives in the premier league and first division of the country along with all managers, coaches, and players of the respective teams Available and targeted sampling methods were selected (217 people). The validity of the researcher-made questionnaire was confirmed by experts and its reliability (0.89) was calculated. Results: The results showed There is a difference between internal factors (p=0.021) and external factors (p=0.041) in the success of team sports in the Premier League and first division of Guilan province in three groups: manager, coach and athlete. In the internal dimensions in the dimensions of the coach (p=0.006), the player (p=0.021) and the team (p=0.013) and in the external dimensions in the media dimension (p=0.047) in the success of team sports in the Premier League and first division of the province. Guilan There are differences in three groups: manager, coach, and athlete. The results showed that the internal factors of the players 'factor had a greater effect than the external factors of the fans' factor. Conclusion: According to the results, it is suggested that factors such as the coach's experience, the quality of the player in terms of technique and tactics, a dedicated sports place for training and competition, coordination and cohesion of the team and the bias of the players towards the team, management stability, the existence of strong financial sponsors, Attendance of more spectators and fans by increasing the number and capacity of the stadiums hosting the matches, not marginalizing the team and the club by the media and the press should be paid more attention to the success of the teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The English Premier League (EPL) is the top-tier English soccer system, becoming one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. One topic within the EPL that has garnered significant attention is player compensation and roster construction. Given the varied outputs of players and the spending power of each club, the question becomes whether a specific type of pay structure maximizes on-field performance. Thus, this study aimed to understand the effect of intra-team salary disparity on performance. Results indicated that although rosters tend to be organized in a more compressed manner, salary disparity was not a significant predictor of team success. Instead, a roster constructed around a greater number of impact players was found to be the most positive predictor of performance. The insights from this study have practical managerial and strategic planning implications in sports leagues seeking to optimize performance amidst intra-team salary disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this exploratory study was to better understand how political behaviors by a sport organization's leader impact aspirant sport professionals. This qualitative study utilized criterion-based and snowball sampling methods to gather data from 202 aspirant sport professionals (46.5% male, 53.5% female). Participants were given a hypothetical employment scenario and responded to four questions regarding how a leader's political behavior might impact their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors toward the sport employer. Utilizing thematic analysis, the following themes were discovered: Discomfort and Indifference (Question 1), Expectancy Violation and Power Divide (Question 2), Visceral Thinking and Calculated Thinking (Question 3), as well as Reconciliation and Balance and Withdrawal (Question 4). Although sport leagues and sport leaders taking political stances has become more commonplace in recent years, the current results provide evidence that this shift may not be beneficial to sport employers as they look to recruit and retain high-quality personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work examines the visibility of Spanish clubs in the EA Sports League on Instagram. Using mainly quantitative techniques the objectives pursued are related to the presence of these clubs on the aforementioned social network, as well as establishing a ranking, the life span of these accounts, the number of posts and content analysis in the form of photographs and reels. The results and conclusions show that Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid lead the ranking in terms of the number of followers. There is no specific period in which this social network had a greater impact on the creation of their accounts, while the rate of posting varies. When examining the content of the top 5 clubs with the highest number of followers, it becomes evident that most of their photo posts predominantly feature images of players, whereas their reel videos frequently showcase highlights from matches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to propose an analysis of financial regulation practices, identified thanks to an extensive benchmark carried out in eight European professional sports leagues. Design/methodology/approach: Between 1970 and 2018, 81 French football clubs went bankrupt. The paper proposes an analysis of financial regulation practices in eight European professional sports leagues to enhance the prevention of bankruptcy of French football clubs. Three research questions are addressed: What are the financial and accounting disclosure practices in the main professional leagues? What assessment tools are employed to evaluate the financial risk and budgetary feasibility? What financial support measures exist for clubs and how are insolvency proceedings initiated by clubs? To identify financial regulation practices in professional sport, a selection of leagues was made based on their economic importance, specific regulatory tools used, and their approach to financial difficulties and the handling of insolvency proceedings. Findings: Through an examination of financial regulation practices in other leagues, three main findings are highlighted: The significance of required financial documents and deadlines varies depending on the competition organizer; some leagues utilize ratio-based assessments rather than relying solely on opinions from financial oversight bodies; certain leagues have established assistance processes for troubled clubs as opposed to punitive measures resulting in administrative regulations. Practical implications: This study proposes new financial regulation modalities to prevent the bankruptcy of French football clubs. Firstly, a reform management control is suggested. Secondly, the engagement of stakeholders in bankruptcy prevention is recommended. Lastly, the implementation of a dedicated policy to support clubs facing difficulties is proposed. Originality/value: The French football federation and the professional league are important actors in the European football. Many bankruptcies are noted in these championships and since the COVID crisis, the financial situation of the clubs has deteriorated, pointing to a strong risk of bankruptcy in the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-professional leagues are increasingly used to develop athletes. However, what we know of athletes' employment comes from research on professional athletes and does not translate to semi-professionalism. Thus, the purpose of this research was to explore how athletes and employers co-constructed employment relations in two new semi-professional rugby union leagues. Primary data consisted of 24 interviews with stakeholders and 30 surveys completed by athletes. Secondary data consisted of 36 publicly available interviews. Employers used control strategies to limit athletes' pay and agency. Athletes and employers co-constructed role identity positions that promoted certain attitudes, expectations, and employee behaviors. Aspiring athletes constructed an athlete identity with employers, which favored symbolic rewards instead of pay. When athletes joined teams, they constructed a professional identity with employers. Role identity position construction has implications for research on semi-professional leagues and the study of athlete labor relations more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often assumed that sports leagues should have teams in the largest markets. However, a very basic model of a sports league shows that, depending on talent investment's role in team revenue, this assumption is not necessarily true. Heterogeneity in markets sizes can not only decrease costs but also increase expected league revenue. Having a smaller market leads to more wins for the larger market team and less competition for playing talent. Therefore, leagues may prefer smaller markets for expansion teams or team relocation. Given that leagues typically want larger markets, the paper investigates how the basic model of a sports league may be lacking. If leagues want competitive balance or more absolute talent, it may cause leagues to pursue larger markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, European soccer leagues have strengthened their internationalization efforts by relocating games abroad. In this context, we empirically investigate the impact of the political relations between the importing and the exporting countries on on-site demand for such games. While there is a rich literature addressing this issue in more general settings, it has never been explored in sports. We use a stated-preference approach and survey data of a representative sample of soccer-interested US residents, which we combine with data from the American Community Survey. The effects are estimated using Tobit regressions and an instrumental variable approach. We find that the willingness-to-pay for admission to relocated games is higher if the country where the competing teams come from is perceived as friendly. We provide preliminary empirical evidence that the political relations between importing and exporting countries may be important for international demand of spectator sports. As such, the public perception about political relations between countries may constitute a crucial component for sport leagues' expansion strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Momentum has been a consistently studied aspect of sports science for decades. Among the established literature, there has, at times, been a discrepancy between conclusions. However, if momentum is indeed an actual phenomenon, it would affect all aspects of sports, from player evaluation to pre-game prediction and betting. Therefore, using momentum-based features that quantify a team's linear trend of play, we develop a data pipeline that uses a small sample of recent games to assess teams' quality of play and measure the predictive power of momentum-based features versus the predictive power of more traditional frequency-based features across several leagues using several machine learning techniques. More precisely, we use our pipeline to determine the differences in the predictive power of momentum-based features and standard statistical features for the National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and five major first-division European football leagues. Our findings show little evidence that momentum has superior predictive power in the NBA. Still, we found some instances of the effects of momentum on the NHL that produced better pre-game predictors, whereas we view a similar trend in European football/soccer. Our results indicate that momentum-based features combined with frequency-based features could improve pre-game prediction models and that, in the future, momentum should be studied more from a feature/performance indicator point-of-view and less from the view of the dependence of sequential outcomes, thus attempting to distance momentum from the binary view of winning and losing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper examines Sports Analytics, focusing on injury patterns in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and their impact on players' performance. It employs a unique dataset to identify common NBA injuries, determine the most affected anatomical areas, and analyze how these injuries influence players' post-recovery performance. This study's novelty lies in its integrative approach that combines injury data with performance metrics and salary data, providing new insights into the relationship between injuries and economic and on-court performance. It investigates the periodicity and seasonality of injuries, seeking patterns related to time and external factors. Additionally, it examines the effect of specific injuries on players' per-match analytics and performance, offering perspectives on the implications of injury rehabilitation for player performance. This paper contributes significantly to sports analytics, assisting coaches, sports medicine professionals, and team management in developing injury prevention strategies, optimizing player rotations, and creating targeted rehabilitation plans. Its findings illuminate the interplay between injuries, salaries, and performance in the NBA, aiming to enhance player welfare and the league's overall competitiveness. With a comprehensive and sophisticated analysis, this research offers unprecedented insights into the dynamics of injuries and their long-term effects on athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on advocating for the National Basketball Association (NBA) to recognize American Basketball Association (ABA) statistics, citing the injustice faced by players like Julius Erving whose accomplishments remain unacknowledged. It discusses historical precedents set by other sports leagues in merging statistics and emphasizes the moral, historical, and logical reasons for the NBA to integrate ABA records into its statistical canon.

Match-fixing threatens the integrity of sport, violating the unpredictability of outcome from which sport derives its special value. This threat harms the economic product of sport as well, posing a threat to the sustainability of the sport leagues around the world. Discovering match-fixing in esports involves different challenges compared to traditional sports, such as the anonymity inherent to "skin-betting". This scoping review identifies a gap in the literature related to match-fixing in esports through skin-betting, and it moves the conversation towards a recognition of potential criminal exploitation of esports. The presented evaluation of esports match-fixing occurs under the lens of routine activities theory and drift theory. These theories suggest that the risk of criminal exploitation in esports is embedded in the anonymity skin-betting provides in virtual spaces for potential offenders. Esports thus faces a different risk of match-fixing compared to traditional sports that the esports industry is unprepared to address. Potential solutions are presented to complete the discussion and establish a foundation for future academic discourse of the topic at hand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The authors integrate the established literature on corporate entrepreneurship with the expanding inquiry into sport entrepreneurship by examining professional teams and leagues across North America. By situating the discussion in the context of organizational theory on competition, the authors argue for how teams (contestants) and leagues (organizers) uniquely apply the different forms of corporate entrepreneurship, providing contemporary examples of each. Additionally, the authors identify notable challenges of entrepreneurship within a sport context, emphasizing components that allowed organizations to overcome these concerns. By shining a light on the occurrences and challenges of corporate entrepreneurship within the sport industry, the authors hope to continue the push for greater interest in and examination of sport-related innovation and entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach: This work researches and shares numerous examples across the North American sport landscape to illustrate corporate innovation and venturing by sport entities. Findings: This research identifies innovation, sourced from different competitive actors, involving new products, new services, new processes and new administrative structures and approaches, and even includes the development of new businesses. Originality/value: In looking at the entrepreneurial efforts of established sport teams and leagues, the authors highlight the impressive efforts of these entities to innovate, grow and evolve their products, service offerings and markets despite unique industrial constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yoga, a practice originating in India thousands of years ago, has gained immense popularity today and its effects are under scrutiny. Numerous studies demonstrate the positive impact of various types of yoga on human physiology. Specifically, research highlights the ability of yoga to mitigate stress and anxiety, as well as increase serotonin and dopamine hormones, facilitating healthy coping mechanisms in modern living. For a healthy lifestyle, yoga can be an important addition to a nutritious diet. While numerous studies have reported on the positive effects of yoga, its complete impact has yet to be fully understood. It may be recommended that the studies planned to be addressed in the future on the subject should be carried out for a specific health problem, should have a methodologically good and high quality structure and the sample size should be kept large. This review found that yoga has significant positive effects on anxiety and depression. It also increases hormones such as serotonin and dopamine in the body, which can lead to a more positive outlook. However, the review found statistically insignificant decreases in fasting blood glucose levels, postprandial blood glucose levels, and HbA1c. Additionally, yoga was found to significantly improve quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between respiratory functions and body compositions of elite athletes in alpine disciplines and cross-country skiing through their comparison. The study included 32 male athletes (age: 18.3±2 year, height: 172.1±6.05 cm, body weight: 65.73±10.79 kg, and body mass index (BMI): 22.91±2.80 kg/m2) within the scope of alpine disciplines and cross-country skiing. The heights of the athletes were measured with a stadiometer (Holtain, UK) with an accuracy of ±1mm. The weights of the athletes and BMI values were measured using a Tanita brand (BC, 418 Tanita, Japan) body composition analyzer with a precision of 100 grams. The respiratory function and respiratory muscle strength of the athletes were evaluated using a digital spirometer (Pony FX Cosmed, Italy). Pearson's correlation analysis was used to determine the relationships between respiratory functions and anthropometric structures of the groups. The results indicated that cross-country skiing athletes had higher averages in FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEF, MIP, MVV, and MEP parameters compared to alpine discipline athletes, with only the MIP value being higher in alpine discipline athletes. The results revealed positive correlations between age and FVC (0.563), FEV1 (0.521), PEF (0.679), and MVV (0.511) in cross-country skiing athletes. Negative correlations were found between body weight and FEV1/FVC (r=0.578), FEV1/FVC (r=0.545), height and MVV (r=0.541), and body mass index and FEV1/FVC (r=0.541), FEV1/FVC (r=0.676) in cross-country skiing and alpine discipline athletes, respectively (p<0.05). The study revealed no significant relationship in other variables (p>0.05). In order to achieve maximum performance, it is very important to identify and keep under control the factors affecting respiratory functions. The current study demonstrated that the characteristics of the sport have an impact on physiological changes in the respiratory system and also affect body compositions and respiratory functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to compare differences in body composition, lower extremity strength, and anaerobic power characteristics among professional football players at different league levels. A total of seventy-one volunteer players aged between eighteen and thirty-five years (mean age: 23.14 ± 4.23 years) participated in the study, representing the Super League, 1st League, and 2nd League. The participants' body compositions were measured using the DXA (Hologic QDR Series, Delphi A model, Bedford, MA, USA) bioelectrical impedance analyzer, CounterMovement Jump (CMJ) strength with the ChronoJump Smartspeed Mat (INEFC, Barcelona), and Running Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST) tests were conducted. ANOVA was used to compare multiple groups, and the Duncan multiple comparison tests were conducted in cases where differences were observed to determine which group the difference favored. The results revealed that Super League players statistically possessed more significant values in body composition compared to 1st and 2nd League players and demonstrated significantly higher values in terms of jump height, maximum force output, and anaerobic power compared to 1st and 2nd League players (p<0.05). Consequently, it is considered that the intensive training sessions undertaken by Super League players both pre-season and throughout the season, along with the expectation of top-level physical attributes from players in terms of performance, contributes to the highest level of physical characteristics required as the league level increases. These findings emphasize the importance of evaluating players' potential according to their league levels and considering not only body composition but also physical performance criteria when aiming for a higher league level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soccer is one of the sports where performance is shaped by the coming together of numerous variables. The importance of strength, a physical variable that determines performance, is thought to be as crucial as the experience levels of athletes, which are also considered important for performance. The present study aimed to compare the isokinetic strength characteristics and soccer experience of professional league (PRL) and amateur league (AML) soccer players. After recording variables such as total playing seasons and weekly training sessions, isokinetic strength measurements were conducted at angular velocities of 60°/sec and 180°/sec. The outcomes revealed that PRL players engaged in significantly more weekly training sessions and had accumulated a higher total number of playing seasons than their AML counterparts (p<0.05). Evaluation of the isokinetic strength metrics identified that H/Q ratios in the non-dominant extremities of AML players were notably lower at both angular velocities (p<0.05). Notably, among the non-dominant extremities, players exhibited comparable PT during extension at both angular velocities (p>0.05); however, PRL exhibited greater flexion strength than AML (p<0.05). At an angular velocity of 180°/sec, all players demonstrated similar PT generation during extension (p>0.05), yet PRL players excelled in flexion (p<0.05). These findings underscore that the PT attributed to the quadriceps doesn't singularly determine player performance. However, PRL consistently achieved higher torque using their quadriceps earlier during extension, emphasizing the significance of swift power generation. In conclusion, the study highlights the significance of soccer experience and training frequency for achieving success in the sport. Furthermore, it underscores the pivotal role of attributes such as rapid power production during extension and overall power, particularly in flexion strength, in distinguishing professional players from their amateur counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]