The SAGE Handbook of Sports Economics

Sports economics is a well-established and dynamic area of study; a key component in the fields of sport management, sport science and sport studies, as well as in other areas of economics, finance and management. Covering amateur to professional sports, individual events and organised tournaments, this Handbook provides an authoritative contribution to the understanding of sport in the economy.

The editors of The SAGE Handbook of Sports Economics have brought together a global team of respected scholars to create this benchmark collection of insights into sports economics. Each chapter includes a study of a specific context in which issues arise in sports economics, a critical presentation of its main theoretical contributions, an overview of current research findings, and an outline of enquiry for future research. 

PART I: The Nature and Value of the Sports System and Economy
PART II: Amateur Sports Participation, Supply and Impact
PART III: Professional Team Sports
PART IV: Professional Sports Leagues
PART V: Sports Events and their Impacts
PART VI: Individual Sports
PART VII: Future Research

Paul Downward is Professor of Economics in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University in the UK. He is the current editor of European Sport Management Quarterly and President of the European Sport Economics Association, serving also on the editorial boards of the Journal of Sports Economics, Sport Management Review and the Journal of Sport and Tourism. Paul is the author of The Economics of Professional Team Sports and Sports Economics: theory, evidence and policy and co-editor of the handbook of Sport Management. Paul has published widely on all aspects of sports economics, focussing more recently on the determinants of sport and physical activity participation as well as its health, well-being and labour market outcomes. He has received funding for his research from a variety of organisations such as the DCMS, UK Sport, Sport England, The Health Foundation, The British Academy, Streetgames, Sustrans and the IOC.

Bernd Frick is Professor of Organizational Economics in the Management Department at Paderborn University, Germany and Professor of Sports Economics at Seeburg Castle University in Seekirchen, Austria. His research interests are in organizational and personnel economics as well as in sports and cultural economics. He has published more than eighty refereed papers in e.g. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Labour Economics, Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Education Economics, Applied Economics, European Journal of Operational Research, Industrial Relations, Labour, British Journal of Industrial Relations, Journal of Sports Economics and the International Journal of Sport Finance. When younger, he was a mediocre football player and a competitive long-distance runner. Although somewhat slower today, he continues to be a dedicated athlete.

Brad Humphreys is a professor in the Department of Economics at West Virginia University. He holds a PhD in economics from the Johns Hopkins University. His research on the economics of gambling and the economics and financing of professional sports has been published in academic journals in economics and policy analysis, including the Journal of Urban Economics, the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, the Journal of Reginal Science, the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Health Economics, Public Finance Review, and Regional Science and Urban Economics. He twice testified before the United States Congress on the economic impact of professional sports teams and facilities.

Tim Pawlowski is Full Professor of Sport Economics and Head of the Research Group on Sport Economics, Sport Management and Media Research at the University of Tübingen (Germany). Moreover, he is Associate Member at the LEAD Graduate School and Research Network and founding Board Member of the European Sport Economics Association (ESEA). Tim's empirical work follows three broader lines, i.e. 'leagues and competitions', 'society and public policy' and 'media and communication', and was supported with research grants from the German Research Foundation (DFG), UEFA and FIFA. He was principal investigator in several projects - amongst others for the Federal Ministry of Finance in Germany and Major League Soccer in North America - as well as guest speaker invited by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Council of the European Union and the Sports Committee of the German National Parliament.

Jane E. Ruseski is an applied microeconomist with interests in health economics, health financing and policy, and sports economics. Much of her current research studies the socioeconomic determinants of health and (un)healthy behaviors; the effect of health behaviors on outcomes, including chronic health conditions, obesity, and health disparities; the mechanisms underlying health behaviors; and the effect of public policy on health. The overarching goal of this research is to inform the policy environment in an effort to implement policies and interventions that will promote health behaviors and reduce the burden of disease. Dr. Ruseski has published in academic journals including Journal of Regional Science, Contemporary Economic Policy, Health Economics, Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, BE Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, Public Finance Review and Journal of Sports Economics. She is a co-editor of Contemporary Economic Policy and an associate editor of the International Journal of Sport Finance.

Brian Soebbing is an Associate Professor in Sport and Recreation Management in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta. Dr. Soebbing's main research interest focuses on the strategic behavior of sport and recreation organizations and their constituents. Within this research area, he examines issues related to sport facilities and events, decisions made by organizational leaders and its members, policies adopted/modified by sports and recreation organizations, and behaviors by consumers of sport and recreation. Currently, Dr. Soebbing is a member of 8 editorial board and is the Associate Editor for both Sport & Entertainment Review and the International Journal of Sport Finance.