The Political Economy of Professional Sport (New Horizons in the Economics of Sport series)

Book info: The Political Economy of Professional Sport (New Horizons in the Economics of Sport series) (Hardcover, 272 pages) – Edward Elgar Publishing, 2010. Language: English.

This timely book offers a critical interpretation of the traditional social and economic accounts of sport. It provides an incisive analysis of professional sport and defines alternative foundations to the present model. The authors demonstrate that professional sport is an extremely complex phenomenon encompassing many unique factors depending on its global reach, financing and organization.

In particular they address three significant issues:

• an analysis of the relationship between sport and economic development in order to explain the place of professional sport in modern societies
• a study of the main difficulties facing the organization of professional sports in terms of financing, collective bargaining and the consequences of revenue sharing for competitive balance
• an exploration of alternatives to current governance structures which would involve a return to professional ethics.

This insightful and topical book is essential for academics and students of sport management, researchers of the economics of sport, managers of clubs and federations involved in professional sports, as well as civil servants and journalists.

Editorial Reviews Review ‘One of the strong points of the book is the global perspective taken by the authors. . . The authors make a convincing case that professional sport is a phenomena of richer countries, both in terms of demand and supply, and of sporting success. . . I liked the book. . .’ -- Ruud H. Koning, Jahrbücher für Nationalökonomie und Statistik About the Author Jean-François Bourg, Researcher, Centre for the Law and Economics of Sport (CDES – University of Limoges) and member of the International Association of Sports Economists, France and Jean-Jacques Gouguet, Professor, University of Limoges, Researcher, Centre for the Law and Economics of Sport (CDES – University of Limoges) and is General Secretary of the International Association of Sports Economists, France