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In this chapter we assess the key stakeholder in the sports sector: the fan. Without a proper understanding of how the fan thinks, behaves and interacts, it is difficult, if not impossible to formulate a coherent and relevant marketing response by way of a strategy.

Ticketing (pricing) still represents an important source of revenue for sports property owners.

In this chapter we consider the role that sport plays within society. We focus on its contribution to key health issues such as fitness and obesity. We assess the importance of providing funding for sport. This has implications for the extent to which citizens of countries participate in sport at the “grass-roots” level.

This chapter sets the scene for the reader in terms of the key issues that the book addresses. It begins by acknowledging the unprecedented challenges facing the sports sector in general and sports marketers in particular, as a consequence of the Coronavirus pandemic. It is likely that existing business models used by sports organisations will need to be re-appraised in light of the initial impact of this crisis, which is likely to last for some time.

The issue of media rights has transformed the nature and process of sport at the elite level. Where once, clubs relied mainly on revenue from ticketing strategy, this has moved to the revenue emanating from the sale of media rights. In essence, this is the way in which sports property owners distribute its sport to ensure that fans have access to live games, events, competitions and also highlights. We note that in some instances, in particular, European football, revenue from this source can generate as much as fifty to sixty per cent of the total revenue stream.

Without a strategy, any business, much less one that operates in the sports sector, is unlikely to be sustainable in the long-term. It is akin to a ship without a rudder. In such a case, the ship will drift and lack direction. The same applies to a sports organisation without a plan or strategy.