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Today media and sports are indivisible, having a kind of inseparable, mutually influential relationship. Media attracts audiences and generates profit through sports. In its turn, sports content is disseminated, transmitted, and popularized through the media. Thus, theoretically, sports and media exist in symbiosis. However, practically, this relationship is complex and includes many factors. First of all, in recent decades, the process of overall digitalization (and digital transformation) of all fields of life has had a crucial impact on sport, media, and their interrelationship. This paper aims to conceptualize and analyze the possible impact of digitalization on “winner-takes-all” (WTA) (winner-takes-most, WTM) dynamics in the professional sports industry, notably for spectating audiences, and answer the question: “Can digitalization be seen as a driver of ecosystem change and how it should be tested?” This conceptual model paper seeks to construct and develop a theoretical framework that can explain and predict relationships between concepts of digitalization and key sport spectating variables: audience, TV rights, and revenue through a prism of WTA. We found that the technological change in the sports media market and the greater global-orientated strategy of leading sports organizations have re-sorted and compressed many market shares, but the effect of technological disruption has been significantly less pronounced for the most powerful digital leaders in the industry. To this end, we represent digitalization as the main accelerating factor of the WTA effect (along with other auxiliary effects) in the sports industry and propose future research directions and perspectives.

The new pandemic lifestyle advocates new rules for sport at all levels, from amateur to elite. Consequently, it has transformed the ways in which sports are performed and consumed, provoking demand for new technologies and/or the development of existing ones. This paper aims to identify, describe, and visualize the process of sport transformation as radical internal and external industry changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is intended to qualitatively explain the current ‘metamorphoses’ in the field and subsequently answer the question of how the COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed all aspects of sports and physical culture. The literature and empirical dataset (qualitative open-ended written interviews, N = 147) were analysed in the spirit of grounded theory, referring to the holistic approach. The results demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented effect on sports by touching on all aspects, levels, and stakeholders. The paper also outlines challenges and opportunities for the industry in these extraordinary times. The key dimensions of transformation are identified and explained. The findings of this research have significant implications for the understanding of how COVID-19 gave rise to the transformation of sports in different aspects. This study adds to the growing body of research on the positive and negative impacts of COVID-19 on sports, new technologies demand, and the transformation of sports.

ABSTRACT One of the primary goals of universities is to foster students' professional development and boost their employability. Social media platforms have become integral in today's digital age, causing disruptions in health, education and sport. University educators have integrated these platforms into classrooms to create online and hybrid teaching environments. However, research indicates that graduate students often lack proficiency in leveraging social media for professional use. This study examined the impact of an educational intervention conducted through LinkedIn, focusing on 61 undergraduate sport management students (80.30% male, 19.70% female) from a Spanish university during the 2020–2021 academic year. Pre‐test and post‐test questionnaires evaluated social media's potential as a teaching tool. Descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon test and Cohen's d effect‐size calculations were used. The results highlight LinkedIn's value as a teaching‐learning tool and its potential for enhancing students' professional development and engagement in the sport industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: The main objective of the article is to study, analyze and organize the modern German experience in the sphere of social pedagogical and educational work with socially unprotected adults, including youth and the elderly. The retrospective analysis threw light on the background of work with socially unprotected adults in Germany and predetermined the research objective. Methods: The methods of induction and deduction, comparison and generalization of theoretical, practical and statistics data enabled to examine the main strategies of work with the risk-group youth; while the interpretational method and techniques of synthesis and analogy of the data obtained helped to bring to light the most important forms of work with the elderly. Findings: Scientific novelty of the article is represented in the following findings: the authors revealed and characterized meaningfully street social work and prevention programs for the risk-group youth to guarantee their socialization and adaptation in the modern society; they analyzed profoundly such forms and methods as intergenerational, biographical and interactive work to provide the elderly personal transition from pre-retirement to post professional period with due account for their interests and possibilities. The findings prove and stress the need of purposeful social pedagogical and educational work with socially unprotected adults in any society as one of the prerequisites both for the successful educational process and the further development of the society at large. Conclusions: Presently, different age groups and their problems are actively worked with and on in Germany. Social pedagogical and educational work serve various purposes but the most important goal is to socialize and adapt socially unprotected adults, youth and the elderly to ongoing social and economic changes in the society; guarantee a high standard of their life in the best interests of every person. Purposeful work with socially unprotected adults is very important. It is one of the prerequisites both for the successful educational process and the further development of the society at large.

Through an integrative literature review and theory adaption approach, this research aims to shed light on the efficacy of research partnerships and their implications for academic scholarship and knowledge production. Adapting the concept of creative duos to research activities presents a promising avenue for interdisciplinary collaboration and enhanced productivity. This review explores the application of research partnerships, akin to creative duos, in academic contexts. Research duos involve pairs of scholars who collaborate closely to investigate specific topics, address complex problems, or advance knowledge within their respective fields. This paper delineates the characteristics and potential benefits of research duos, drawing parallels to creative partnerships in various artistic domains. Additionally, it examines the advantages and disadvantages of researching in duos, roles within partnerships, the possible role of artificial intelligence as a partner within a duo, and factors contributing to successful research collaborations and identifies best practices for forming and sustaining effective research duos. By recognizing duos as the fundamental unit of collaborative research, we can understand how their inherent strengths contribute to the effectiveness of larger groups, supporting efficient communication, strong interpersonal bonds, and clear organizational structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of digitalization and sustainability principles, encapsulated within the Twin Transformation (TT) approach, has emerged as a transformative paradigm within sport management. However, there is a critical gap in understanding how these two transformative forces can be synergistically harnessed within the field of sport management. This paper explores the conceptual underpinnings of TT and its implications for enhancing organizational performance and addressing contemporary challenges in the sports industry. Drawing upon interdisciplinary perspectives, the paper examines how TT fosters innovation, enhances fan engagement, and promotes environmental responsibility within sport management. Through a synthesis of theoretical insights and practical examples, the paper highlights the potential of TT to drive positive change across various facets of sport management, from operational practices to stakeholder engagement. Furthermore, the paper underscores the importance of ongoing research and scholarly inquiry in advancing our understanding of TT and its implications for theory and practice in sport management. Overall, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of TT in sport management, offering valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders seeking to navigate the dynamic landscape of the sports industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the transport infrastructure of the city district as one of the most promising areas today. The existing problems of the road transport network are identified. The author offers a draft solution and the necessary costs for its implementation. This project will increase the flow of motor transport, provide comfortable pedestrian and automobile zones, and improve the socio-economic situation of the city district.

Problem Statement: Blockchain technology and the emerging fintech culture have disruptive potential in many aspects of life, including professional sports. Cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and smart contracts begin to find multiple applications in the sports industry and have the potential to drastically impact the entire sports ecosystem. Approach: First, we define and describe important related constructs and explain the connections and relationships between them as part of the overall professional sports ecosystem. Second, we identify, describe, and classify the impact of emerging fintech and blockchain technologies on the sports ecosystem. Third, we discuss possible research directions and empirical, theoretical, and analytical perspectives for future Blockchain developments and applications in sports. Purpose: In this paper, we seek to identify and classify the impact of blockchain and fintech applications on the sports industry. In doing so, we refer to the stakeholder approach and the theory of technological determinism from a holistic perspective, trying to capture the whole picture. The paper also includes definitions and explanations of the main related concepts and their connections within the professional sports ecosystem. Results: To this end, this paper extends the literature on blockchain applications in professional sports on a global scale, by unpacking the full range of related constructs and insights in the form of a theoretical synthesis and describing the connections and interrelationships between them. It may be useful to a wide range of readers: sports managers, marketers, post-graduate students, and researchers. Conclusions: In summary, the use of blockchain, fintech, and NFTs has the potential to significantly impact the sports industry, and change the way stakeholders interact and do business within the sports ecosystem. These technologies have the potential to reshape values and change philosophies in the industry by opening new avenues for monetization and empowering athlete's rights and fan engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of a model of a building for laboratory interdisciplinary experimental research to systems of a smart house is offered. At the first stage, the principal provisions of the future experiment are determined, the core of the system is constructed and its functional capabilities are determined. As a result, the Arduino-based processor was adopted as the core of the system, a circuit was built that reads data from two sensors and outputs control signals. The principle of assembly of a layout is developed, allowing to expand a control kernel and to connect any number of modules a lot at home. The main modules of the smart house have been determined, which will be experimentally investigated first. These are energy management modules from solar and wind power plants and control of the entire power system of the house, a coordination module with the BIM model, a structural monitoring module, ventilation, air conditioning and water supply modules, a dynamic layout module, and an Internet module for things and object tracking.

Problem Statement Higher education is one of the most significant steps in preparing students for entry into the workforce in sport management. To understand the nature, trends, and trajectory of career paths in the modern landscape of sport management, the authors reviewed the literature and analyzed empirical datasets to define career paths, understand and explain current trends, and propose dimensions to classify career pathways in sport management. Approach A set of unstructured hand-written essays was collected in December 2021 on the topic "My career pathway in sport management" (N = 45; M = 90 min) from M1 students from the sport management program at the University Paris Saclay. Data analysis was performed after data collection. First, the authors evaluated the literature to provisionally define themes and dimensions for the analyses and read the essays several times. Second, we perused all the data, synthesized the literature, and collected the data (essays, N = 39). The authors deductively coded essays using profound in-line analysis with color highlights and by systematizing the data. Then, we manually iteratively analyzed the observed literature, preliminary findings, and full dataset to build typology and get insights. Purpose This study has three main aims: (1) to understand and describe how sport management students understand and foresee their career pathways and outline main trends; (2) to develop a typology of career paths in sport management and propose the classification dimensions, relying on the students' vision; and (3) to propose guidelines for sport education management based on the typology of student paths in order to straighten learning environments in sport management higher education institutions. Results This study extends the body of literature on career development and education in sport management, and the obtained findings can be also applied to other fields (e.g., management, tourism, finance, and marketing). Further, this study helps to understand sport management students' current needs and adjust education methods, programs, and strategies. Conclusions For sport management students, there are different reasons to choose this field as a career path such as passion for a particular sport, general interest in management, participation in sports (professional or amateur), background, motivations, and experiences that may lead students to consider working in the sport management industry. The authors propose dimensions to classify the sport management career path: sport vs. management; clarity of path; work modes and lifestyle as a career determinant, roles, fields, functions; dependency on external circumstances; and geographical map for a career path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]