Why would someone pull the plug on a Premier League match? What prompts an athlete to search for sponsorship on eBay? How can the decision of a drinks brand CEO make or break an entire sport? Why would a sprinter think they can't afford not to dope? Sport Inc. reveals the behind-the-scenes finances that drive sport - who gets rich and who gets left on the bench. Through investigations into a wide range of sports, including how football agents really work, the betting industry and corruption, esports, the NFL's efforts to take over the world and the real cost of hosting events like the World Cup and the Olympics, the financial realities of our obsession with sport are exposed. As spectators our choices make us key players in this game of riches - it's time to find out who's winning and who's losing.

Good entry level text that new students will really appreciate. Clearly written in a style that aids understanding and will develop their knowledge and ability to apply research techniques. - Shane Thurlow, Bishop Burton College "Essential elements associated with research in the fields of leisure, sport and tourism are introduced and explained in a clear manner. This book is informative and easy to read... ideal for those who are not familiar with research in those field." - Miyoung Oh, Sheffield Hallam University "This book would be useful for any leisure, sport, or tourism student who has no previous knowledge of research methods. Its style and language make it particularly useful for first year students in degree or diploma programs." - Annals of Tourism Research "The style of writing is wonderfully clear and the author explains areas such as sampling and significance in a much better way than many very well known texts. It will be an incredibly useful book for students." - Malcolm Williams, University of Plymouth What are the essential research methods for students studying leisure, sport and tourism? What are the main benefits in competing research methods, and how can you avoid gremlins in the research process? This is a comprehensive and informative book written especially for new and inexperienced researchers in the fields of leisure, sport and tourism. Unlike generic research texts that do not 'speak' to people in this field, this book uses subject-specific examples and explains the central methodological issues in straightforward terms. By showing students what they can do to assess, manage and reduce the time they spend on research Researching in Leisure, Sport and Tourism: The Essential Guide will help them achieve a better balance in their course work.

An engaging look at the ways economic thinking can help us understand how sports work both on and off the field "Mr. Oyer writes clearly and ranges across all sorts of sports as well as across the globe, introducing fascinating observations."-Henry D. Fetter, Wall Street Journal Are ticket scalpers good for teams? Should parents push their kids to excel at sports? Why do Koreans dominate women's golf, while Kenyans and Ethiopians dominate marathon racing? Why would Michael Jordan, the greatest player in basketball, pass to Steve Kerr for the game-winning shot? Paul Oyer shows the many ways economics permeates the world of sports. His topics range from the business of sport to how great athletes use economic thinking to outsmart their opponents to why the world's greatest sports powerhouse (at least per capita) is not America or China but the principality of Liechtenstein. Economics explains why some sports cannot stop the use of performance-enhancing drugs while others can, why hundred-million-dollar player contracts are guaranteed in baseball but not in football, how one man was able to set the world of sports betting on its ear-and why it will probably never happen again. This book is an entertaining guide to how a bit of economics can make you a better athlete and a more informed fan.

With updated financial data throughout, this book exposes baseball's secret financial statistics. A postscript chapter presents recent events such as the dismissal of Fay Vincent as baseball's commissioner, the multimillion-dollar suit over decisions by the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco, a joint economic study report by the players and owners and the House and Senate hearing on Baseball's exemption from antitrust laws.

To enter the sports, events, and hospitality industry, it is necessary to develop and hone certain skills to ensure competitiveness. These skills must be studied further to educate those interested in pursuing a career in these fields on what it takes to begin this long process and enhance their employability. Employability and Skills Development in the Sports, Events, and Hospitality Industry provides insight into current professionals working in the sports, events, tourism, and hospitality industry and considers the skills and qualifications necessary to work within or enter the industries. Covering key topics such as hard skills, volunteerism, virtual events, and educational institutions, this reference work is ideal for event managers, coaches, property owners, entrepreneurs, industry professionals, researchers, academicians, scholars, educators, and students.

Written by European professors and focusing on the specificities of European sport, When Sport Meets Business analyses the growing commercialisation of professional sport in recent years and explains how it has developed into a major global industry. Structured into four sections, the book covers the key issues in the Business of professional sport: The New Sport Environment - Analysing the consequences of increasing commercialisation by looking at the multi-billion dollar sports goods industry; the effects of globalisation and how commercial influences have made running one of Europe's most popular sports. Sport Marketing and Media - Investigating the role media and marketing has in commercialisation, with emphasis on the growth of sponsorship; media rights in European club football and the growing influence of social media in sport. Sport and Finance - Relating to the economics of European sport: there is an investigation into the financial policies employed by European Football clubs, specifically in regards to the Financial Fair Play regulations, and the topical issue of high level corruption. Sporting Events - Looking at additional factors that affect professional sport: highlighting the impact an Olympic Games can have on a host city and the longevity of an Olympic urban legacy. The authors have included insightful case studies from across the continent, including anti RB-Leipzig media campaigns in Germany, financial policies at England's Chelsea FC, French Tennis Federation corporate responsibility, Media rights in Spain's LaLiga, the sponsorship viability for Ukraine's Klitschko brothers and the case of Denmark's Viborg F.F. Suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students in sport related courses, including sport management, sport economics, sport marketing and the sociology of sport.

Formerly Plunkett's Sports Industry Almanac, this book covers the entire sports and recreation industry, providing competitive intelligence, market research and business analysis. In addition to major sporting leagues and teams, related sectors include sporting goods manufacturing, sports apparel, sporting events broadcasting and retailing. Sports and professional athletes attract companies interested in endorsements, advertising, merchandising and marketing opportunities. Our coverage includes sports business trends analysis and sports industry statistics. Topics include major leagues and their revenues, sports equipment and technologies, sports broadcasting, pay per view, Internet broadcasting, new stadiums, sports league expansion into China and sports related advertising. We also include a sports business glossary and a listing of sports industry contacts, such as industry associations. Next, we profile the world's top 350 teams, leagues, sporting goods retailers, sporting equipment manufacturers and sports sector companies. Profiles include business descriptions and up to 27 executives by name and title. You'll find industry analysis, an overview and market research report of the sports, sporting goods, sports marketing, stadiums, teams and leagues businesses in one value-priced package.

The electronic age is bringing sweeping changes to the world of entertainment, media and publishing. Formally Plunkett's Entertainment & Media Industry Almanac, this book covers these exciting developments and provides profiles of 400 leading global firms in film, radio, television, cable, digital content, new media and publishing. It contains thousands of contacts for business and industry leaders, industry associations, Internet sites and other resources. You'll get in-depth profiles of the world's top Entertainment & Media firms: our own unique list of companies that are the leaders in this field, from broadcasters to film production companies, casino operators to theme park companies, publishers of books and magazines to video game designers, and much more. Our corporate profiles include executive contacts, growth plans, financial records, addresses, phone and fax numbers and company descriptions. This innovative book offers unique information, all indexed and cross-indexed for each firm! Our industry analysis section provides an exceptional discussion of business and market trends. The book includes statistical tables covering revenues for several industry sectors. You'll find a complete overview, industry analysis and market research report in one superb, value-priced package.

This introductory text offers students a handbook for management in the field of public recreational service. It includes a history of the modern recreational service movement, provides a general overview of the field, and offers a detailed guide to best practices in the field including leadership, coordination, public relations, planning, budgeting and techniques for detecting the most competent and comprehensive service possible in the community in which the agency is situated. This text also touches on the complex relationship between public recreational services and politics.

The global gaming market, due to numerous technological advancements in social media networking and live-streaming video, has exploded in recent years. However, this newly acquired popularity has left many industry professionals pondering a difficult enigma: How does this affect the professional world? Implications and Impacts of eSports on Business and Society: Emerging Research and Opportunities provides innovative research exploring the immersion of competitive electronic sports and applications within global marketing, business, and society. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as social networking, sponsorship branding, and risk management, this book is ideally designed for sports and entertainment practitioners, communications professionals, marketers, business consultants, researchers, professionals, and students seeking current research on potential business opportunities in the eSports industry.

With an industry at $498 billion according to Plunkett Research, Ltd, sports is one of the largest industries in the United States. Being able to sell items in this industry is key to excelling in the field itself. Selling in the Sport Industry is a groundbreaking publication and is the only book in the market to address this endeavor. In addition to informing readers on the sports industry, Selling in the Sport Industry also provides faculty with a means to teach students the mechanics of the sales process. Available in print and eBook versions, Selling in the Sport Industry: Is unique! It is the only title dedicated to the sales aspect of the sports industry. Is proven! The features empirical results based on people who actually do the job on a daily basis. Is practical! The publication teaches students the mechanics of the sales process.

Materials in Sports Equipment, Second Edition, provides a detailed review on the design and performance of materials in sports apparel, equipment and surfaces in a broad range of sporting applications. Chapters cover materials modeling, non-destructive testing, design issues for sports apparel, skull and mouth protection, and new chapters on artificial sport surfaces, anthropometric design customization, and 3D printing in sports equipment. In addition, the book covers sports-specific design and material choices in a range of key sports, from baseball, rowing, and archery, to ice hockey, snowboarding, and fishing. Users will find a valuable resource that explicitly links materials, engineering and design principles directly to sports applications, thus making it an essential resource to materials scientists, engineers, sports equipment designers and sports manufacturers developing products in this evolving field.

The importance of the study of the scientific principles of learning human motor skills is evident in that motor learning is a required core course as set forth by the NASPE standards. Applied Motor Learning in Physical Education and Sports goes further than simply providing valuable scientific theories. Authors Jin Wang and Shihui Chen transform those theories into practice in an understandable approach by incorporating case studies and practitioners' implications, making this a comprehensive authority on the topic of motor learning. Written for undergraduate students, PE teachers, coaches, athletes and practitioners, each chapter includes: an introduction to the imperative theoretical models of motor learning, case studies and life examples that illustrate theoretical concepts that can be effectively applied to practical teaching, coaching, or motor learning settings, project topics that integrate theory with practice, clear illustrations, diagrams, and key components of concepts depicting the main ideas.

This guidebook presents historical and new material to assist the reader to understand NFL game strategies and provides a winning betting strategy. The authors, William Ziemba and Leonard MacLean are professors, traders, financial analysts and sports enthusiasts. They covered ideas like the game's strategies, and shared their wealth of personal experience analyzing the regular season, the playoffs and the Super Bowls in the years 2010-2017. The results of their actual betting for the 2009-10 to the 2017-18 seasons are provided. The authors concluded the book with a forecast for the 2018-2019 season. They determine the players most valuable to win the games, discuss crucial decisions and provide prediction methodology. The authors concluded with a forecast of the top teams, players and odds to win the 53rd Super Bowl.

This guidebook presents historical and new material to assist the reader to understand NFL game strategies and provides a winning betting strategy. The authors, William Ziemba and Leonard MacLean are professors, traders, financial analysts and sports enthusiasts. They covered ideas like the game's strategies, and shared their wealth of personal experience analyzing the regular season, the playoffs and the Super Bowls in the years 2010-2017. The results of their actual betting for the 2009-10 to the 2017-18 seasons are provided. The authors concluded the book with a forecast for the 2018-2019 season. They determine the players most valuable to win the games, discuss crucial decisions and provide prediction methodology. The authors concluded with a forecast of the top teams, players and odds to win the 53rd Super Bowl.

The first inside account of the international soccer scandal that rocked the world and the American at its center-the incredible story of how a stay-at-home New York soccer dad illegally made millions off the world's most powerful and corrupt sports organization and became an unlikely FBI whistleblower. He was the middle-class Jewish kid from Queens who rose from local youth soccer leagues to the heights of FIFA, becoming a larger-than-life, jet-setting buccaneer-and the most notorious FBI informant in sports history. For years, Chuck Blazer skimmed over $20 million from FIFA, stashing his money in offshore accounts and real estate holdings that included a luxury apartment in Trump Tower, a South Beach condo, and a hideaway in the Bahamas. Instantly recognizable with his unruly mass of salt-and-pepper hair and matching beard-and a rotating crop of arm candy-Blazer was one of the most flamboyant figures in the glitzy social and political circles of international soccer. Over the course of thirty years, Blazer leveraged his friendships with the likes of Vladimir Putin, Hillary Clinton and Nelson Mandela, to increase his influence with the mandarins of global soccer-most notably Sepp Blatter, FIFA's long-time godfather. Once Blatter tapped Blazer to be the first American in almost fifty years to sit on FIFA's executive committee, the erstwhile accountant steadily accumulated money and power-until 2013 when the FBI and IRS nabbed Blazer and charged him with fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion. In exchange for immunity, Blazer agreed to let the Feds install a microphone in his keychain to entrap his larcenous band of brothers-leading to the shocking arrest and indictment of eighteen FIFA officials for racketeering and bribery. In this taut and suspenseful tale of white-collar crime and betrayal at the highest levels of international business, investigative reporters Mary Papenfuss and Teri Thompson draw on sources in U.S. law enforcement as well as in Blazer's inner circle to tell the surreal tale of this astonishing character and the scandal that rocked the world.

* The first text to provide a thorough insight into the world of spa management - an international growth phenomenon; * Written by a team of industry and academic experts from a leading intuition in the field of spa management education; * Look at all aspects of spa management from HR and training, to marketing and finance; * Responds to calls for more rigorous research in the field of spa and provides a much needed text for the study of spa. The spa industry is big business - it's estimated worth is $60 billion, and averages 18% annual growth. The number of day spas has increased by 34.4% globally, from 2003 to 2006; in the same period the number of medical spa locations more than doubled. Even though spa has a long and extensive history, spa education is relatively new, with education at degree level newly introduced across the world. This is in response to the current recognised shortage currently of adequately trained and experienced individuals across all levels in the industry. International Spa Management is the first text to address these industry needs. It provides a sound and though guide for all future spa managers looking at all aspects on the successful running of a spa facility. Divided into four parts it discusses the following: * The spa industry: types (mineral and thermal) and destinations * The spa consumer: behaviour, service and spa design * The business of spas: marketing, operations, finance and training * Future directions: strategizing for the future

In 1998, Milton Friedman's statement drew national attention to Rutgers 1000, a campaign in which students, faculty, and alumni were resisting the takeover of their university by commercialized Division I-A athletics. Subsequently, the movement received extensive coverage in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Sports Illustrated, and other publications.

Today, "big-time" college athletics remains a hotly debated issue at Rutgers. Why did an old eastern university that had long competed against such institutions as Colgate, Columbia, Lafayette, and Princeton, choose, by joining the Big East conference in 1994, to plunge into the world of such TV-revenue-driven extravaganzas as "March Madness" and the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl? What is the moral for universities where big-time college sports have already become the primary source of institutional identity?

Confessions of a Spoilsport is the story of an English professor who, having seen the University of New Mexico sink academically in the period of a major basketball scandal, was galvanized into action when Rutgers joined the Big East. It is also the story of the Rutgers 1000 students and alumni who set out against enormous odds to resist the decline of their university--eviscerated academic programs, cancellation of minor sports, loss of the "best and brightest" in-state students to the nearby College of New Jersey--while tens of millions of dollars were being lavished on Division I-A athletics. Ultimately, however, the story of Rutgers 1000 is what the New York Times called it when Milton Friedman issued his ringing statement: a struggle for the soul of a major university.

Just One More Hand tells a story that workers all over can relate to: an industry that promised a solid and stable livelihood is being transformed by competitive pressures, causing employees to lose their economic footing. What seemed like a good job one day becomes a bad job the next. Incorporating the real experiences of casino employees, the book demonstrates the difficulties for local communities that are building new casinos in the hopes of luring tourists. Local communities placing all their chips on casinos as an economic development strategy face increasingly long odds. Life stories of individual workers in Atlantic City are explored in the context of the history of the city and the now-global gaming industry. With more and more casinos competing for customers, employees are feeling the brunt of cost-cutting measures, including the wholesale closure of some casinos. While long-time employees are fighting against concessions and wage stagnation, younger workers juggle multiple part-time and seasonal jobs at several casinos. Policy makers hoping to offset these trends are trying to rebrand Atlantic City for a younger, hipper, and more well-to-do clientele using public-private partnerships. Unfortunately, scant attention is being paid to the core issue in economic development-the need for sustainable livelihoods and meaningful work. Here, Ellen Mutari and Deborah Figart explore the realities of the industry and the lives and challenges the workers within it are facing.

The snow sports industry has experienced remarkable growth in the last fifty years. It is estimated that there are about 115 million skiers worldwide and around 2,000 ski resorts in 70 countries catering to this growing market. New resorts in Asia and Eastern Europe are competing for these visitors with already well established destinations. But the industry is changing. Technology is having a huge impact on the skiing product and how it is distributed; demographic shifts are affecting the ski industry landscape; and climate change is impacting hills all over the world. Such dramatic changes require a fresh look at this exciting and dynamic industry. Comprised of 12 chapters for easy semester teaching, each chapter follows the theme of 'working in winter wonderlands'. It covers a breadth of issues including: * The evolution of winter sport tourism, with skiing's earliest emergence as a leisure pastime during the mid-nineteenth century in Europe, to the present day; * The winter sport tourism product - the activities, resorts, and supporting industries such as clothing and equipment; * Design and planning for winter sports resorts including management and operations, both on- and off-mountain; * Marketing, public relations and media; * Planning, marketing and leveraging of events in the winter sports industry * Economic, social and environmental impacts of winter sport tourism; * Understanding the consumer, customer service and how to develop a service culture. * The future for the ski industry, how resorts need to cater to the future consumer, and how to deal with seasonality. The book has a sound pedagogic structure, with key chapter features including: * Spotlight' sections focusing on the occupation of a frontline individual in the snow sports industry in various roles including marketing, resort designer, entertainment and director of communications; * 'Profiles' on a particular resort, organization or individual that illustrates a particular concept or theoretical principle presented in the chapter. Interesting profiles include Patrick Bruchez, owner and manager of Verbier's olderst hotel; Joe Nevin, creator of Bumps for Boomers in Aspen; and Darren Turner developer of an innovative ski instruction app. The book also profiles Crystal Holidays, one the UK'S largest ski operators, and China's emergence as a key player in the global ski industry. * A detailed 'Case Study' which ,as a collection, cover a variety of organizations and regions. Designed to foster critical thinking, these cases illustrate actual business scenarios that stress several concepts found in the chapters. Case studies include women's instruction camps, Vail's development plans in Utah, ski resort infrastructure in Japan, DreamSki Adventures in South America, the EpicMix app in Colorado, the upcoming Olympics in South Korea, and Slovenia's growing ski scene. * Online tutor resources including Powerpoint slides with links to relevant videos. All spotlights, profiles and cases have been developed following a personal visit or in-depth interviews conducted by the authors, and there is an international flavor throughout the book. Essential reading for tourism students, researchers, and practitioners - particularly those working in the ski industry.