SPORT & SOCIETY

The Summer Olympics through the lens of social science

www.bl.uk/sportandsociety

Sports Industry Information Guide

INTRODUCTION
Information on the business of sport will be found in a wide range of sources held by or
subscribed to by the British Library. This guide highlights those sources which have a
specific focus on the sports industry, most of which are available in the librarys Business
and Intellectual Property Centre. However a search of the librarys catalogues and a
trawl of websites will reveal many other sources which cover specific aspects of the
industry. In particular, information sources on the leisure, tourism, retailing, food and
drinks industries will all contain material of relevance.

CONTENTS
TRADE AND MARKET DATA ............................................................................. 1
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & TECHNICAL INNOVATION ....................... 2
NAVIGATING THE WEB ..................................................................................... 2
ACADEMIC RESEARCH ACTIVITY ..................................................................... 3
SPORTS INDUSTRY INFORMATION SOURCES AT THE BRITISH LIBRARY ........ 3
MARKET RESEARCH REPORTS .......................................................................... 4
TRADE PRESS AND DIRECTORIES ..................................................................... 6

TRADE AND MARKET DATA

The trade press, publications from trade associations and the websites of organisations
active in the industry are likely to be the most up to date sources of intelligence for the
sector. They are published or updated frequently, address an informed audience and will
reflect the current interests, activities and concerns of that audience.
Websites and publications produced by official and quasi official bodies may also be
useful sources of statistics and other data.
Off the shelf market and industry research reports such as those listed below (whether
found in hard copy format or through an online database) are very useful introductions
to the sector. They provide a convenient package of data and useful bites of
information. When extracting and using information from such reports it is sensible to
note the sources from which their data is drawn and its currency, as more up to date
information may be available from the original source.

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NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & TECHNICAL INNOVATION

Patent, design and trade mark searches are a rich source of commercial intelligence for
the sports industry.
It is possible to monitor the patent and design protection applications filed by companies
and individuals and be alerted to innovations in the sector as soon as the information
enters the public domain.
It is also possible to identify innovative companies and individuals in the industry by
running regular searches looking for new patent applications for particular types of sport
related products (swimwear, training shoes, tennis racquets, magic eyes etc.).
The creation of a strong brand identity is a fundamental part of the product
development process and is likely to include an application for trade mark protection. So
keeping a regular watch on trade marks applied for by a particular company or on
trademarks which are being filed to protect particular categories of sports product can
also be a valuable source of commercial intelligence.
Several databases which support this kind of intelligence gathering are available free of
charge in the British Librarys Business and IP Centre. The IP information specialists in the
Centre will offer help in building suitable search strategies and they run regular free
workshops on these topics.

NAVIGATING THE WEB

Intute is a free online service providing a gateway to the best web resources for
education and research. Each resource is evaluated and categorised by subject specialists
based at UK universities. As part of its remit, Intute provides a gateway to resources in
Sport and Leisure Practice [http://www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/sport] and this
includes the economics of sport and leisure and statistics in sport and leisure. The target
audience is students, staff and researchers in higher and further education but it is an
excellent starting point for anyone researching the industry via the world wide web.
A small number of useful websites are also listed below.
Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS)
http://www.dcms.gov.uk
DCMS has responsibility for government policy on sport, including sports broadcasting.
The reference library on this site lists all departmental publications including outputs
from Taking Part, the national survey of engagement and non-engagement in culture,
leisure and sport.
Sport England
www.sportengland.org
Sport England is responsible for the distribution of Lottery Funds to sport in the UK. The
research area of their site gives access to a range of useful information such as trends
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analysis and participation statistics. There is also the opportunity to sign up for the Sport
England Research eBulletin
Britsport weekly
http://www.sportbusiness.com/britsport_reg
Weekly e-zine focused specifically on the UK sports sector. Sign up via the Sportbusiness
website
Sportindustry.biz
www.sportindustry.biz
News website which focuses on business issues behind sport
Sports Industries Federation (SIF)
http://www.sportsdata.co.uk/
A UK federation of 28 associations and groups involved in sports retailing,
manufacturing and management. The site provides news and features and links to
specific associations, including Fitness Products Association, Independent Sports Retailers
Association, Golf Facilities Trade Association, and Sports and Fitness Equipment
Association.
Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA)
www.sgma.com
SGMA International is a trade association of manufacturers and marketers of sports
apparel, athletic footwear, licensed products, fitness, sporting goods. The site gives
details of market surveys available from SGMI and there is a searchable product
database. Although global in coverage, there is an American bias.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH ACTIVITY

The Sports Industry Research Centre (SIRC) [http://www.shu.ac.uk/research/sirc] at
Sheffield Hallam University offers research and consultancy services in the field. SIRC
produces two reports Sports Market Forecasts and Leisure Forecasts annually,
which provide intelligence on market trends. Both titles are held at the British Library and
are listed under Market Reseach Reports below.
The Birkbeck Sport Business Centre [http://www.sportbusinesscentre.com/] provides
research consultancy in the business of sport and in September 2008 started to publish a
series of research papers. From 2009 there are plans for the centre to publish a series of
case study papers which are intended for a broad sports business sector audience.

SPORTS INDUSTRY INFORMATION SOURCES AT THE BRITISH LIBRARY

The Business and IP Centre reading room is the focus for the British Librarys collections
of business and intellectual property information sources. Visitors to the Centre have
access to hard copy market research reports, trade and business journals and trade
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directories. They can also identify and order up material held in the librarys closed access
stores. Whilst in the Centre users are able search a wide range of online databases which
give access to product, company and market intelligence and which are a rich source of
data on the sports industry. A full listing [http://www.bl.uk/eresources/business/cdbusin.html] of these databases is available.

MARKET RESEARCH REPORTS

Recent hard copy market reports on the sports industry available in the Business and IP
Centre are listed below. Reports on subjects such as retailing, nutrition, lifestyles and
leisure activities held in the Centre also contain useful data and can be identified from
the Business Information Catalogue [http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/business]. The
catalogue will also give details of the most recent acquisitions.
The shelfmark for each report is given beneath the title.
Advanced Sports sponsorship strategies. SportBusiness Group, 2006
(B) Mkt 338.47796 Bus
Asia: Opportunities in the Business of Sport. SportBusiness Group, 2007
(B) Mkt 338.47796095 Bus
Analyses opportunities in the Asian sports market. Provides regional and country profiles
and looks at major sporting events, TV rights, consumer attitudes and the popularity of
different sports.
Brand & Sport Licensing Source Book. Max Publishing Limited, 2008
(B) Mkt 658.827094105 Bus
Examines how brand and sport licensing is expanding and explains how retailers and
manufacturers are able to take advantage of the enormous potential of brands and
sports licensed material.
European TV & Sports Rights. TV Sports Markets, 2008
(B) Mkt 381.45791456579094 Bus
Analyses the key broadcasters in 20 of Europes biggest TV markets and details the
major TV sports rights deals in each country.
The Future of Sports Marketing. SportBusiness Group, 2006
(B) Mkt 796.0698 Bus
Examines different media such as TV, internet and mobile technologies and their roles in
sports sponsorship, licensing and merchandising. Includes case studies.
Mobile sport, leisure & information content: opportunities and markets. Juniper 2006
(B) Mkt 381.142 Bus
Maximising Revenue from Ticketing and CRM. SportBusiness Group, 2007
(B) Mkt 338.47796 Bus
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Provides analysis of global ticket sales volumes and values. Also examines issues such as
marketing, setting optimum prices and customer relationship management. Includes case
studies.
Sponsorship. Mintel, 2006
(B) Mkt 659 Bus
Overview of the sponsorship market in the United Kingdom including market size,
consumer attitudes as well as sections looking at sponsorship by specific sports.
SportBusiness in Numbers. SportBusiness Group, 2007
(B) Mkt 338.47796 Bus
Global report covering sponsorship, broadcasting rights, TV viewing figures, sports
participation statistics and features profiles of top sporting leagues and events.
Sporting Activities in the Great Outdoors. Mintel, 2006
(B) Mkt 338.477960941 Bus
Analyses the market for outdoor sporting activities such as hiking and mountaineering.
Profiles major brands of outdoor clothing and equipment. Includes detailed consumer
analysis and forecasts to 2010.
Sports Clothing & Footwear. Key Note, 2007
(B) Mkt 338.476870941 Bus
Covers UK market size, sectors, industry background and outside suppliers to the
industry, competitor analysis, buying behaviour, with forecasts to 2004. Includes profiles
of five market leaders.
Sports Equipment. Key Note, 2007
(B) Mkt 338.47688760941 Bus
Comprehensive analysis of the sports equipment market in the UK. Includes market
definition, market size, SWOT analysis, company profiles and forecasts to 2011.
Sports Equipment Industry: Business Ratio Report. Key Note, 2008
(B) Mkt 338.4368876094105 Bus
Comprehensive report on the industry. Contains industry overview, company profiles,
performance league tables and industry profile.
Sports Market. Key Note, 2008
(B) Mkt 338.47796094105 Bus
Covers UK market size, industry background, competitor analysis and buying behaviour
with forecasts to 2010. Includes PEST analysis.
Sports Market Forecasts 2008-2012. Sport Industry Research Centre, 2008
(B) Mkt 338.47796094105 Bus
Provides both short-term and long-term forecasts for individual sports markets as well as
looking at general trends in sport.

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Sports Sponsorship. Key Note, 2007

(B) Mkt 338.47996069 Bus
Report covers market definition, market size, current market issues, global market,
industry background, buying behaviour, competitor analysis and company profiles.
UK Sports retail 2008. Verdict, 2008
(B) Mkt 338.47796 Bus
Women in Sport: strategies for commercial development. SportBusiness Group, 2008
(B) Mkt 338.47796082 Bus

TRADE PRESS AND DIRECTORIES

A selection of hard copy journals and directories on the sports industry held by the British
Library is listed below. The library holds many other trade directories and journals on
specific sports and on related sectors of such as clothing and nutrition which can be
identified through the Business Information Catalogue [http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/
business]
The British Library shelfmark for each journal or directory is given beneath the title.
Britsport 09. SportBusiness Group, 2009
(B) Dir 796.02941 Bus
Directory of contact information for suppliers in the UK. Includes listings and contact
information for TV sports production and sports branding companies, suppliers of
equipment for all forms of sports and a wide range of other service providers to the
sports industry.
SGB UK. Datateam Publishing Ltd
(P) AK 83 E(19) Bus
Monthly news magazine for the UK sports goods trade, including product news and
more in-depth features. Published for the UK Sports Industries Federation.
SGB Outdoors. Datateam Publishing Ltd
(P) AK76 E(93) Bus
News magazine for the UK outdoor sports goods trade published monthly. Includes
product news and more in-depth features.
Sport Business. SportBusiness Group Ltd
ZK.9.d.1230
Monthly magazine for managers, promoters and sports executives.
SportBusinessTV. SportBusiness Group Ltd
(P) RT 083 E(10)

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Magazine covering news, analysis and market data for the sports broadcasting industry,
including cable and satellite TV. Published monthly
Sporting Goods Business: UK Guide to the Trade. Datateam Publishing Limited, 200??
(B) Dir 338.476887 Bus
Directory of manufacturers and distributors with classified listings of equipment. Includes
an index of brand names and their suppliers.
Sports Insight. Maze Media Ltd
(P) 381.4568876 E(1) Bus
Official publication of the Sports and Play Associations. Published monthly, it contains
news and features on sports apparel and equipment and related topics.
Sports Management. Leisure Media Company Ltd
ZK.9.b.13874
Monthly magazine published for the Sports & Play Contractors Association. Contains
news and new product information for managers of sports facilities, including swimming
pools, stadia, golf courses, athletic tracks, etc.
The sports source book: a UK directory of sport. Coachwise Ltd., 2007
YK.2008.a.12672
Listing of contact details for key sports organisations and associations in the United
Kingdom.
TV sports markets TV Sports Markets Ltd.
Newspapers 1016 [1997]
Fortnightly

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