Understanding the Predictors of Economic Politics on Elite Sport: A Case Study from Spain

Abstract

Sport federations (NSFs) are the main promoters of sport at a national level. Their complex management involves coordinating relations with private entities, public administrations, and international organisations. Therefore, the economic situation of a country and its sport support policies have significant influences on the achievement of the NSFs’ objectives and, therefore, on their sustainability and influence on an active population. This study analyses the determinants of the financial performance of 59 Spanish sport federations (SSFs), 28 Olympic and 31 non-Olympic, based on the relationship between the funding received and their international results during the period from 2007 to 2019 (both years included). The preliminary data analysis included an examination of the missing data, and a t-test was used to compare Olympic and non-Olympic sport federations regarding different variables related to their resources and results. In addition, multiple linear regressions identified the possible predictors of the financing of sport federations and were separately performed for Olympic and non-Olympic federations. The results showed that SSFs were able to maintain their results in the face of decreasing resources. In addition, Olympic SSFs were found to be less dependent on public funding than non-Olympic SSFs for competitive results. This is evidence of a paradigm shift in the management of Spanish federated sports, evolving towards a model that is less dependent on the state, more efficient, and therefore more sustainable.

Direct Economic Short-Term Impact of Public Spending in Sporting Events: The Case of the Elite and Senior Badminton World Championships

“…In the context of the significant growth of smaller sporting events in Spain and the fact that many of them take place in small and medium-sized localities [2], the present study contributes to the scarce studies on the economic impact of small and medium-sized sports events [13]. To this end, the economic impact of two international sporting events (senior and elite World Championships) in badminton, both of which took place in 2021 in Huelva, Spain, and their determining factors have been determined.…”

“…To determine the net economic exchange, it is essential to consider both (positive) cash inflows and (negative) outflows. Key factors influencing the calculation of economic impact include visitor outlays, which include additional expenditures in a specific geographic region linked to the sports event, such as spectator and attendee participation, as well as expenditures generated by the organiser [13].…”

“…In this respect, the assessment of the socio-economic impact of sports events started with the study of macro-events such as the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Universities [14][15][16]. Gradually, this interest has been extended to smaller events; however, there are only a small number of studies on medium-sized or small events [13]. Even so, several studies in Spain have recently evaluated the economic impact of some sports events: the Winter Universities in Granada [25], Spanish Masters Swimming Championships in Pontevedra [4], the Motorcycle Grand Prix of Jerez de la Frontera [20], the Valencia Tennis Open 500 [26,27], the Spanish Cycling Championship in Cáceres in 2015, the Descenso del Alagón in 2013 [27], and the World Padel Tour in Cáceres [28].…”

“…The study has two clear objectives: firstly, to understand how sporting events impact economically on the host region; secondly, to consider previous experiences [13] to identify the sporting impact on the development of badminton in the region. Both objectives are crucial for decision-making in the organisation of medium-sized sporting events.…”

“…The economic impact of an event refers to the total amount of additional money injected into a region because of holding the event [13]. In this sense, this study attempts to account for and understand the economic impact of sporting events on the host region.…”