tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/business-of-sport-977/articlesBusiness of sport – The Conversation2021-08-26T15:08:36Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1647652021-08-26T15:08:36Z2021-08-26T15:08:36ZProfessional boxing and influencer culture: Are fights like Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley bad for the sport?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416870/original/file-20210818-23-1b9hkc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=22%2C0%2C4984%2C3333&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Jake Paul is pushed into a closet to get him away from boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. after a scuffle broke out during a news conference.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) </span></span></figcaption></figure><p>On Aug. 29, YouTuber-turned-boxer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKhOJvLj3o0">Jake Paul will make his fourth trip to the prize ring to face former UFC champion Tyron Woodley</a>. The pair are the main event of the evening, scheduled to box eight rounds or fewer in the cruiserweight (176-200 pounds) division. </p>
<p>Paul’s fight is the latest in a recent boom of celebrity boxing match-ups, including an exhibition in June <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aONT7atzqfw">between his brother, Logan Paul, and five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr</a>.</p>
<p>Prior to the Paul brothers entering the boxing ring, their fans didn’t click “subscribe” to see them do anything specific — they followed along to see them do anything at all, to see so-called “real life.” As <em>Boxing Scene</em> columnist Corey Erdman observed:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Every person who traffics in the online economy is always sure to use the buzzword ‘authenticity’ in describing what they do. In every video, there’s at least a sliver of it — it’s a lens into that person’s dwelling, their fashion, their musical taste, something. The social media landscape is predicated on a perceived connection with the creator.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Jake and Logan Paul entering boxing is just an extension of the “real life” scenarios their fans happily consumed on YouTube. The Paul brothers have a legion of fans who will watch them do anything, from the mundane to the outrageous, anywhere and anytime. The money follows.</p>
<p>Stephen Espinoza, president of <em>Showtime Sports</em>, <a href="https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/news-he-desire-convert-jake-paul-fans-boxing-fans-showtime-president-stephen-espinoza-says-jake-paul-serious-boxing-given-credit">considers the Paul saga an opportunity</a>. “This isn’t all about Jake Paul. This is about Jake doing his events but also he has a desire to convert Jake Paul fans into boxing fans.” </p>
<p>Others don’t understand Espinoza’s vision. In a sport plagued by controversy, surely a novice like Paul pulling in millions by boxing retired mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, YouTubers and <a href="https://www.boxingscene.com/nate-robinson-finds-his-true-self-ring-against-jake-paul--153483">basketball players</a> detracts from the legitimacy of the sport. It’s a short-term business decision, plain and simple.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3VZlTCLPVEY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Jake Paul defeats Nate Robinson in a second-round knockout.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>More business than sport</h2>
<p>Boxing fans and experts are <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10005407-eddie-hearn-rips-floyd-mayweather-vs-logan-paul-fight-absolute-dog-s--t">understandably divided</a> over the Paul brothers and similar “attractions.” The professional prizefighter, more than any other athlete, can be the living embodiment of the American dream, that old — largely inaccurate — fable touting <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026119829762">hard work and perseverance as a salve for poverty</a>, catapulting the worthy from rags to riches.</p>
<p>But the Paul brothers are the opposite. White, straight, male and wealthy, they’re the epitome of privilege. </p>
<p>The Pauls made millions through YouTube, but <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/highest-paid-youtubers-top-ten-jake-logan-paul-dropped-2019-2019-12">stopped daily posts</a> in 2018 to seek out “other opportunities.” In 2019, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5to980XceD4">Logan made his professional boxing debut, losing to fellow newcomer JJ Olatunji</a>, better known for his YouTube handle KSI, by split decision in a headlining fight, despite the presence of two world title bouts on the card.</p>
<p>If Paul-Olatunji headlining wasn’t enough to turn heads, the <a href="https://www.badlefthook.com/2019/11/9/20956452/ksi-vs-logan-paul-purses-main-eventers-listed-900k-devin-haney-biggest-purse-dazn-boxing-news">purses for that evening certainly were</a>. As debutants, they each made at least US$900,000 for the four-round bout. Devin Haney and Billy Joe Saunders, both champions defending their belts, earned US$1 million and US$750,000 respectively.</p>
<p>If the rise of the Pauls has taught the sports world anything, it’s that professional boxing remains more business than sport. And marketability is everything. </p>
<p>For celebrities, boxing offers the possibility of another big payday, based entirely on non-boxing popularity. It’s not about talent, as the <em>New York Times’</em> Morgan Campbell observed, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/11/28/sports/tyson-jones#whos-bankrolling-this-spectacle">it’s all about spectacle</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/05/sports/floyd-mayweather-vs-logan-paul.html">and entertainment</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two men box in a boxing ring with a referee in the background, the man in the foreground throws a right hook towards his ducking opponent" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416871/original/file-20210818-19-14kr8v0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416871/original/file-20210818-19-14kr8v0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416871/original/file-20210818-19-14kr8v0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416871/original/file-20210818-19-14kr8v0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416871/original/file-20210818-19-14kr8v0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416871/original/file-20210818-19-14kr8v0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416871/original/file-20210818-19-14kr8v0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul fight during an exhibition boxing match at Hard Rock Stadium in June 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Paul brothers are a symptom, not the cause of boxing’s woes</h2>
<p>The millions of dollars earned by novice celebrity boxers like the Paul brothers are a symptom of boxing’s troubles, but certainly not the cause. Professional boxing is free-market capitalism run amok. <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/shame-boxing/">Promoters and managers</a> used to be to blame, now it’s the <a href="https://www.ibroresearch.com/boxing-sanctioning-bodies-a-brief-chronology-and-rundown/">alphabet soup of “world title” sanctioning bodies</a> tearing the sport apart.</p>
<p>It’s nearly impossible to explain the championship situation to a casual fan. <a href="https://www.dazn.com/en-US/news/boxing/major-boxing-championship-belts-list/ge65lf29o3kw1pmzktuzbad4a">There are four main championship bodies</a>, including the World Boxing Association (WBA), plus an endlessly changing roster of minor “world” bodies, all issuing their own recognition.</p>
<p>The WBA is in a league of its own when it comes to watering down the sport’s upper echelon, creating three world-title belts for each division. Kevin Iole <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/racist-tweets-controversial-scorecards-and-champions-galore-wba-is-failing-boxing-and-its-fans-211357808.html">of <em>Yahoo Sports</em> sums up the WBA situation well</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“This is hard to follow for the people in the sport, like those who manage or promote the fighters. Imagine what it must be like for fans who simply want to know the stakes of what they’re watching.… Imagine if an NFL team won a playoff game, but the next week the NFL ordered a new playoff game to be held.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>On Aug. 7, Mykal “The Professor” Fox lived up to his ring name, giving Venezuelan Olympian Gabriel Maestre a boxing lesson in a bout for the interim WBA welterweight title. Despite winning virtually every round, <a href="https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/32006241/wba-suspending-judge-gloria-martinez-rizzo-controversial-scorecard-discovery-racist-tweets">not a single judge</a> scored the contest in Fox’s favour. The scorecard belonging to judge Gloria Martinez Rizzo, the WBA’s 2019 female judge of the year, scored the contest ten rounds to two for Maestre. With an inexplicable scorecard dominating the <a href="https://danrafael.substack.com/p/notebook-after-horrendous-decision">boxing news cycle</a>, <em>Boxing Scene</em> reporter Corey Erdman dug deeper, adding some troubling context to the situation.</p>
<p>On Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/corey_erdman/status/1424244494417924101">he shared several problematic tweets from Rizzo</a>, including one in which the judge called Michelle Obama “monkey face.” That a judge with a public history of anti-Black racism could be approved to score any boxing match, let alone a championship featuring a Black boxer, illustrates the utter lack of care the WBA has for athletes competing for its titles. </p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/ProfessorMyke/status/1424436844360523782">Fox took it in stride, tweeting</a>: “Guess I’ll have to settle with People’s Champ … for now.” Fox is getting a rematch, but that’s hardly sufficient. He won the title, the sport let him down.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tY49DYDCWWs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Highlights from Mykal Fox vs. Gabriel Maestre.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There’s no shortage of scholars examining the intersection of race and boxing. Historians like <a href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/85mdc3na9780252061455.html">Jeffrey T. Sammon</a>, <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/B/bo38298879.html">Kasia Boddy</a>, <a href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/85zhc7cg9780252041341.html">Louis Moore</a> and <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/george-dixon-the-short-life/9781682261774-item.html">Jason Winders</a> all detail the struggles and triumphs of Canada’s George Dixon, who broke the “colour line” in 1892 becoming the first black champion of the world. Yet, here we are, over 100 years later, watching an openly racist judge get the call to score a WBA title fight.</p>
<h2>The bottom line</h2>
<p>The Paul brothers get to make further millions by entering boxing and adding the sport to their reality-themed empire of content. But highly skilled athletes like Fox are treated to racist judges and denied the accolades and opportunities they deserve. </p>
<p>As boxing stands, why would anyone want more eyes on the sport? Or should I say business.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164765/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>MacIntosh Ross does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Influencers boxing retired MMA fighters, YouTubers and basketball players detracts from the legitimacy of the sport. It’s a short-term business decision, plain and simple.MacIntosh Ross, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology, Western UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1471552020-10-01T15:36:08Z2020-10-01T15:36:08ZWhy England’s Premier League should bail out the lower leagues<p>Uncertainty is what makes sports entertaining. If you always knew who was going to win a match, that would be boring. In the 1960s, an economist called Walter Neale said that the <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1880543">New York Yankees prayer</a> should be: “Oh Lord, make us good, but not <em>that</em> good.”</p>
<p>This “peculiar economics of professional sports”, as Neale described it, is why leagues, such as the English Premier League (EPL) and English Football League (EFL), exist. They are collections of teams of similar quality who regularly compete against each other. </p>
<p>The EPL is the top league in English football, a division of 20 teams, and sits above the football league, which consists of three divisions of 24 teams each. Between all of these divisions is promotion and relegation – the best teams move up, the worst teams move down. </p>
<p>This maintains a reasonable degree of similarity of teams in the different divisions. More importantly, it provides a significant amount of competition and entertainment, which is a crucial feature of English football’s popularity. With lower league clubs that rely on ticket sales on the brink of collapse because of the coronavirus pandemic, it is paramount that the far wealthier top teams step in to save them.</p>
<p>In the EPL, just 14% of revenues come from match days. The bulk comes from television deals and sponsorship. In the football league’s top division, the Championship, 21% of revenues come from match days, but it is significantly <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/sports-business-group/deloitte-uk-annual-review-of-football-finance-2020.pdf">higher still in the two leagues below</a> – over <a href="https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/document-api-images-live.ch.gov.uk/docs/CLmaw2mXBx5uFlolC3v3btnEZqVZjbDo90l626I3xOE/application-pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAWRGBDBV3PDTFW5L5%2F20201001%2Feu-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20201001T104708Z&X-Amz-Expires=60&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEEkaCWV1LXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIB6fSnfXc495fGt4Bse6OjJ6NCMdEYXknmpAx%2FUxrHu7AiEAg%2BpSm3wBXeMus1sEdasXVNPYUsoeyyPlH%2B8SWOjKelUqtAMIcRADGgw0NDkyMjkwMzI4MjIiDBI%2FpReA6SntigxhnSqRAzrXBVKve1ed59G3ofwwWMGfyTNVzkHFMMWuh6ZBWly3ODO47PCX6qZYMUXlfU32WWkF4l3%2BizzsRlcPGkGJtn7cGwPKKZyBwjb94MBtDK7HmERNH6uuR9FAAQa1NFICvjASs%2F1nET2ra5ICy%2FX0eaEKXKtHfhf7Drh3UJHDu2p3nmUp2KDk4LAiTRosIrWalb0k%2FyAIQId0NxYTlyBeuVvFOo48TUEz%2BCbZJCwvYA00%2FsW3MGFO0K1MeXC9w%2FV2uBz8DpPP31g1VOxYFr57sttnCuvPBeplkPvhdhKGAytkKkgbEeGT%2FBvp67JNuxagTCBRz0DneIN0U6Mw802hmW5F4orbjA0knkXrDA6A837f5GyfbBFWkz8WXbb%2BMC77BTIy6fWKWpPuZur3e74VmdegBx4t05%2FZDVrFdHAX1VhzWJf%2FpxJ5MkxY40r%2BsK%2FI2h4HV3fxE7jJxtGPNtx5ZcOPqm2BwHWV6%2FSPP7XVI%2Fs%2F9y3iQ%2FieOHI361cflY3IMuDzeZTfD2B2JxjNGU%2FOCyCSMMWm1vsFOusBXXs59Ma%2FOTrhrPzGkqAS7xweMThWt9y99dAT1m0MavjzZZWz1Ee0OKgjQlGHGL5Ab%2Brx5xNr3QLQ59FvMSxsw%2FAWXYJc8oeuZES86akYAQ8N%2BmBuMT1fl3mHFy4zCpWxtlJ%2B3hDuF8Vy0jhU1A252xtHEgVtTEtLY9c0Oageuf2i6UzNggXds5PgNWJuhAzlJ20OnEQ1%2BLwAYRqJNy9QkJ3b3yfyv5fjIVABE%2FJlOGu%2FhVp3iy6nB8qr7mQMaNN4qoPhRCEsJLgX5XC%2BZJzVFgpTNXQJcKCLFlEahSN2BHRxpQnsrJnNXW5rPw%3D%3D&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=5ac69c6003d6609077d828fdaee74b8e677c54b01a22d44fa84dc334a2c812b7">46% for Bolton Wanderers in League One in 2017</a>, for example. </p>
<h2>Cash rich</h2>
<p>With the government announcing that sport will have to take place without fans, indefinitely, a substantial revenue stream has been lost to these clubs. To survive, they desperately need financial aid. Why should the government bail out a sport that attracts television broadcasting deals in the billions? </p>
<p>The cash-rich Premier League, on the other hand, where teams have continued to splash millions of pounds on top global stars this summer, is the obvious source of aid. Chelsea just spent <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54023395">£71m on German midfielder Kai Havertz alone</a>, for example. This is the equivalent of two Championship clubs’ average wage bills per year, almost half of all League One clubs, and almost the entire 24 clubs in League Two.</p>
<p>Manager of Premier League side Burnley, Sean Dyche, doesn’t appear to agree that the Premier League should help out the English Football League, however. Commenting on the idea, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/sep/22/government-to-act-to-help-elite-sports-clubs-facing-financial-ruin">he said</a>: “If you are going to apply that rule of thumb, does that mean every hedge fund manager that is incredibly successful, are they going to filter that down to the hedge fund managers that are not so successful?”</p>
<p>This line of thinking says football should be like any other business. Clubs should go to the wall if they aren’t successful, just like bad hedge funds go out of business. Clubs should merge, or the better ones should take over the less successful ones. Burnley should take over, say, Oxford United, a lower division team.</p>
<p>Yet in 1987, Burnley was 90 minutes away from relegation out of the football league altogether. They finished 90th out of 92 teams. Indeed, in 1986, Oxford United won the League Cup, and perhaps might have mounted a takeover of Burnley. Since then Burnley has enjoyed six promotions and three relegations. Oxford has fallen out of the football league in that time, too, and returned (five relegations, three promotions).</p>
<p>The Premier League without the intrigue of promotion and relegation would be a massively inferior product. Netflix even made a successful documentary series that followed the fate of Sunderland FC in the season after the club was relegated from the EPL. The initial idea was that Sunderland would be challenging to get promoted back to the Premier League, but in a fateful twist of events, the club was relegated a second time.</p>
<h2>It wasn’t always this skewed</h2>
<p>Historically, this dynamic relationship between the different leagues was better understood in the way that football was financed. Many measures have existed in the past to ensure solidarity. For much of the existence of the football league, member clubs shared revenues accrued from league matches played, and rules restricted the movement of players such that they would be <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13571516.2014.947705">equitably distributed across teams</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Graph of football league revenues." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360943/original/file-20200930-24-11t2oph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360943/original/file-20200930-24-11t2oph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360943/original/file-20200930-24-11t2oph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360943/original/file-20200930-24-11t2oph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360943/original/file-20200930-24-11t2oph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360943/original/file-20200930-24-11t2oph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360943/original/file-20200930-24-11t2oph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Revenues in football league divisions relative to those in the Premier League (or top division of the EFL pre-EPL).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">James Reade</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Revenue sharing was abandoned in the 1980s, however, and between 1961 and 1995 restrictions on player movements were dramatically reduced. In 1992, the EPL was formed as a breakaway by the top football league teams in order to capture more of the revenues in the game. The result has been an ever-widening financial gap between the EPL and the football leagues below.</p>
<p>Norwich City, in finishing top of the Championship in 2019, was awarded £7.1 million. In finishing bottom of the EPL in 2020, they were awarded £94.5 million. The graph below, taken from the published accounts of Premier League and football league teams since the second world war, shows the clear effect of these gradually relaxed restrictions. In the 1950s, the ratio of revenues in the second tier of English football was usually above 60%. In 2014, this ratio was 12%.</p>
<p>The EPL owes much of its charmed existence to the myriad leagues that exist below it, most notably the EFL, feeding it not just with new clubs each year, but new players, and endless romantic tales – rags to riches success and, equally dramatic, falls from grace.</p>
<p>Will it recognise that before it’s too late?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/147155/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Reade does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>To thrive commercially, sports teams need competition. Multiple leagues is the best way to achieve this.James Reade, Associate Professor of Economics, University of ReadingLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1325482020-02-27T11:31:22Z2020-02-27T11:31:22ZTyson Fury defeated Deontay Wilder in the social media fight as well as in the ring<p>Tyson Fury dramatically became the World Boxing Council’s heavyweight champion <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/gallery/2020/feb/23/tyson-fury-v-deontay-wilder-ii-the-rematch-in-pictures-boxing">after knocking out Deontay Wilder in the seventh round</a> of their fight on February 22 in Las Vegas. With US$25 million in guaranteed earnings, plus percentages of pay-per-view profits for each fighter, it was an incredibly lucrative match for everyone involved. </p>
<p>Fury was not only victorious in the ring, he also won the support of fans across the globe and clearly came top in the battle of the brands that took place on social media. We looked at the aftermath of the fight on Twitter to compare how each fighter’s personal brand performed around the world.</p>
<p>Fury has twice as many Twitter followers (1.4 million) as Wilder. Instagram is a little closer, with Fury on 3.4 million and Wilder on 2.8 million followers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317391/original/file-20200226-24672-5o83js.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317391/original/file-20200226-24672-5o83js.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=156&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317391/original/file-20200226-24672-5o83js.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=156&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317391/original/file-20200226-24672-5o83js.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=156&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317391/original/file-20200226-24672-5o83js.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=196&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317391/original/file-20200226-24672-5o83js.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=196&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317391/original/file-20200226-24672-5o83js.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=196&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Twitter followings produced using Social Elephants.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ahmed and Fenton</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>People tend to to follow winning athletes because it allows them to bask in their reflected glory. This is a psychological term that refers to our desire to associate ourselves with success or prestige. So when athletes switch teams, you can see their followers switch with them on social media. When footballer Cristiano Ronaldo moved from Real Madrid to Juventus, for example, Juventus gained 6.2 million followers – it’s been <a href="https://en.as.com/en/2018/08/15/football/1534328420_868015.html">dubbed the Ronaldo effect</a>.</p>
<p>We used a social network analysis tool to examine the discussions on Twitter directly after the Fury-Wilder fight took place. Our analysis was based on the hashtag #FuryWilder2 (the match was a long-awaited rematch following a draw between the two fighters in 2018) and can be seen in full <a href="http://www.nodexlgraphgallery.org/Pages/Graph.aspx?graphID=221792">here</a>. </p>
<p>Much of the discussion focused on Tyson’s celebrations in the ring directly after the fight, where he sang a two-minute rendition of the song American Pie. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1231461018477481986"}"></div></p>
<p>As the BBC tweet says: “It wouldn’t be Tyson Fury if there wasn’t a song”. This references how a big part of Fury’s popularity is linked to his ability to entertain crowds – often through singing. Thousands of Twitter users went on to engage with this tweet.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317397/original/file-20200226-24690-1wcr7d5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317397/original/file-20200226-24690-1wcr7d5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317397/original/file-20200226-24690-1wcr7d5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317397/original/file-20200226-24690-1wcr7d5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317397/original/file-20200226-24690-1wcr7d5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317397/original/file-20200226-24690-1wcr7d5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317397/original/file-20200226-24690-1wcr7d5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317397/original/file-20200226-24690-1wcr7d5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mapping Twitter: regular users and influencers flock around Tyson Fury.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ahmed and Fenton</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The cluster of Twitter users above shows how brand Fury won over the masses online, as well as getting the Las Vegas crowd to sing along with him in real life. Wilder’s account, meanwhile, received fewer mentions and overall was less influential in the network. Many celebrities and influencers, including boxing legends, took to Twitter to congratulate Fury after the fight, further strengthening brand Fury.</p>
<h2>Brand building</h2>
<p>A look at the hashtags around Fury also highlights the number of communities that flocked to his brand. We analysed the hashtags that were connected to the fight’s #FuryWilder2 hashtag. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317402/original/file-20200226-24685-1uacc2h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317402/original/file-20200226-24685-1uacc2h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317402/original/file-20200226-24685-1uacc2h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317402/original/file-20200226-24685-1uacc2h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317402/original/file-20200226-24685-1uacc2h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317402/original/file-20200226-24685-1uacc2h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=611&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317402/original/file-20200226-24685-1uacc2h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=611&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317402/original/file-20200226-24685-1uacc2h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=611&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">#FuryWilder2 hashtag network created using Socioviz.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ahmed and Fenton</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The most used hashtags were all linked to Fury’s self-styled “Gypsy King” moniker. The #TeamFury hashtag was also very popular. We can also see links to different sports (#football and #basketball), locations (#Preston), causes (#homelessness) and even religion (#jesusgeng) – all of which jumped on the brand Fury bandwagon in the aftermath of the fight to gain exposure.</p>
<p>Athletes in all sports increasingly need to be visible across social media in order <a href="https://theconversation.com/hyperdigitalised-sports-fans-are-connecting-with-their-heroes-like-never-before-102080">to build their brands</a>. Gaining followers helps to secure big sponsorship contracts and leads to a more dedicated fanbase who will travel to attend fights and buy merchandise. This is because social media allows spectators to feel closer to the action, talk to other fans and feel closer to their heroes. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hyperdigitalised-sports-fans-are-connecting-with-their-heroes-like-never-before-102080">'Hyperdigitalised' sports fans are connecting with their heroes like never before</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But for every Tyson Fury social media success story there are stars who have fallen foul of engaging with fans on social media <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/athlete-twitter-fails/jordan-love">and posted without thinking</a>. The nature of these platforms is that information travels at lightning speed and stars can go viral without being able to control the narrative. As new platforms emerge, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/tiktok-the-worlds-most-valuable-startup-that-youve-never-heard-of-109302">TikTok</a>, and new features are added to existing ones, we can expect even greater engagement from fans – and many more controversies, too.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/132548/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr. Wasim Ahmed is a member of the, not for profit, Social Media Research Foundation. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alex Fenton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Twitter analysis shows how fans around the world flocked to the Tyson Fury brand.Wasim Ahmed, Lecturer in Digital Business, Newcastle UniversityAlex Fenton, Lecturer in Digital Business, University of SalfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1280142019-11-28T11:44:32Z2019-11-28T11:44:32ZHow Manchester City’s owners became the titans of a global sports-entertainment complex<p>US private equity firm Silver Lake acquiring a stake in the City Football Group (CFG), owners of English Premier League football team Manchester City, is a stunning development. Based in California, the investor has taken a 10% share in CFG for £380 million, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/1c082178-104b-11ea-a7e6-62bf4f9e548a">valuing the group at almost £4 billion</a>. Headlines have inevitably hailed the deal as one that makes Manchester City the <a href="https://talksport.com/football/635142/manchester-city-worlds-most-valuable-club-city-football-group-3billion/">world’s most valuable football club</a>.</p>
<p>There is no doubt that the east Manchester outfit is a much more valuable asset than it was just over a decade ago. When current owner Sheikh Mansour (a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family) bought Manchester City in 2008, he paid £210 million. </p>
<p>But valuing football clubs is not necessarily a precise science, as the proliferation of valuation rankings demonstrates. At the same time, CFG is not just Manchester City alone. It is a group of clubs and related commercial activities that has been built up across the world.</p>
<p>So to imply that City is the world’s most valuable club is slightly disingenuous. Nevertheless, the punt that Silver Lake has just taken on CFG reveals a great deal about the trajectory its business is on.</p>
<h2>The Disney of sport</h2>
<p>Nearly 20 years ago the group’s chief executive, Ferran Soriano, was vice president and finance director of Spain’s FC Barcelona. During his spell there, Soriano spoke of his vision to build a football club in the <a href="https://www.espn.co.uk/football/club/manchester-city/382/blog/post/2993475/ferran-soriano-leading-man-city-to-global-success-following-disney-model">image of the Walt Disney empire</a>. </p>
<p>He foresaw the convergence of entertainment <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Football-Business-and-Management-1st-Edition/Chadwick-Parnell-Widdop-Anagnostopoulos/p/book/9781138579071">and sport in a globalising world</a>. And he also highlighted the role that franchising could play in football, along with the contribution that merchandise could make to club revenues.</p>
<p>Fast forward several years and by 2012 Soriano was in charge at CFG. Released from the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14660971003780446?scroll=top&needAccess=true">political constraints of working for Barcelona</a> (where board members are elected by fans, known as “socios”) and instead underwritten by the petrodollars of Abu Dhabi, the Catalan business leader was given the resources and autonomy to transform the organisation.</p>
<p>Since then, CFG has established franchise clubs around the world, including the US, Australia, Japan, Spain, and Uruguay. Latest news also indicates that CFG are on the verge of <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-england-mci-india/man-city-owners-to-add-mumbai-team-to-their-collection-idUKKBN1Y20LQ">acquiring a club in Mumbai, India</a>. No surprise that the city has a sizeable <a href="https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/look-how-fans-reinvigorating-indian-football-sunil-chhetri">community of football fans</a>, but is also the <a href="https://t.co/kk3scOkKfS?amp=1">spiritual home of Bollywood</a> and a focal point for <a href="https://t.co/FGfERHRGyo?amp=1">India’s tech sector</a>.</p>
<p>In 2015, CFG’s financial and political fortunes were further boosted as a Chinese investor <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/dec/01/manchester-city-265m-deal-chinese-investment-group">took a stake in the business</a>. Tellingly, the deal was announced during Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to the UK, during which he met then prime minister David Cameron and all manner of football, business and political deals were agreed.</p>
<p>So it was no surprise when, earlier this year, CFG announced plans to establish a Chinese club franchise (in Chengdu). At the same time, Abu Dhabi announced that its state airline Etihad (Manchester City’s shirt and stadium sponsor) <a href="https://www.khaleejtimes.com/etihad-airways-to-deploy-new-787-dreamliners-to-china">would be enhancing its links with Chengdu’s airport</a>. At CFG, football is often the means to an end, not just an end in itself.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/304256/original/file-20191128-178089-bhy898.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/304256/original/file-20191128-178089-bhy898.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/304256/original/file-20191128-178089-bhy898.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/304256/original/file-20191128-178089-bhy898.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/304256/original/file-20191128-178089-bhy898.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/304256/original/file-20191128-178089-bhy898.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/304256/original/file-20191128-178089-bhy898.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Manchester City’s main sponsor.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/etihad-stadium-manchester-england-31-may-1413341237?src=ef508869-d5b8-42fe-abbf-8e6c24cc1cdd-1-26&studio=1">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>No Mickey Mouse pursuit</h2>
<p>Many of these deals were overseen by Soriano who, in the midst of it all, was also closely monitoring and responding to technological changes. Notwithstanding his original Disney vision, the nature of the movie, broadcasting and sport industries has changed dramatically over the last decade – meaning that football and entertainment are no longer Mickey Mouse pursuits.</p>
<p>New digital platforms have emerged, streaming has taken hold and content generation has become the fuel adding impetus to a new industrial revolution. Indeed, CFG has already taken advantage of this through, for instance, the development of its <a href="https://cityzens.mancity.com/home">Cityzens platform</a> and the club’s involvement in the Amazon TV series <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/08/19/man-citys-sanitised-amazon-documentary-worrying-step-towards/">All or Nothing</a>.</p>
<p>The investment made by Silver Lake in CFG is a clear acknowledgement that football is a globally compelling product, a superb source of content, and a basis upon <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Football-Business-and-Management-1st-Edition/Chadwick-Parnell-Widdop-Anagnostopoulos/p/book/9781138579071">which shrewd business people can make a profit</a>. More importantly, as if further evidence was needed, it marks the latest move in a convergence of sport, entertainment and digital technology.</p>
<p>With Ferran Soriano providing his foresight and strategy, and Sheikh Mansour providing the money and politics of a <a href="http://www.ejinsight.com/20191125-the-rentier-states-ruling-football/">wealthy new state seeking its place in the world</a>, Silver Lake is set to bring entrepreneurial zeal and a strong track record of <a href="https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/investor-spotlight-how-silver-lakes-four-amigos-built-a-tech-buyout-behemoth">successful tech investments</a>. This should help CFG, and more specifically the various franchises within the group, to establish a competitive advantage over their football rivals.</p>
<p>As such, CFG is at the apex of what it means to be a 21st century football business – a mixture of money, entertainment, technology and politics. Clubs like Red Bull Salzburg and Leipzig are following <a href="https://thesefootballtimes.co/2018/11/14/why-red-bulls-football-empire-isnt-the-force-of-evil-many-believe-it-to-be/">their own franchise path</a>, while a growing number of teams across Europe have had fly-on-the-wall documentary series made about them. Bayern Munich and Real Madrid take their digital footprints very seriously, while French champions Paris Saint Germain has a Qatari owner.</p>
<p>It is currently only CFG that brings everything together in one place, however. And it is on this basis that Silver Lake has invested in what was once a football club with historic roots in the working class communities of east Manchester, but is now a global entertainment business catapulted to the top of the football’s valuation charts.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128014/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Chadwick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>One of the world’s biggest tech investors has bought a 10% stake in Manchester City’s owners, valuing the group at nearly £4 billion.Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sports Enterprise, University of SalfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1227272019-08-30T14:48:22Z2019-08-30T14:48:22ZBury FC: the economics of an English football club’s collapse<p>Bury Football Club has been <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49493929">expelled from the English Football League</a> after 125 years of membership due to unpaid debts. This is a seismic event in football history. It is the first time a club has been expelled from the third tier of English football and leaves a massive hole in the community where it is based. </p>
<p>Bury’s demise ultimately comes down to economics and bad financial management. The problem with football is that clubs are private enterprises. And yet they are not run like normal companies. Instead of maximising profits, their aim is to maximise success on the pitch. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/4c48/63efd7d6c0e2e643492755308bb068f226ad.pdf">peculiar economics of professional sports</a> is that the business aims of clubs do not necessarily align with the desires of their customers, the fans. Despite having an extraordinarily high level of loyalty among fans, Bury was expelled from the English Football League of professional clubs for financial mismanagement.</p>
<p>Loyalty is not only built on longevity but also by clubs becoming focal points within communities, providing leisure activity for friends and family. This ensures that a struggling team like Bury, with its two FA Cup wins in 1900 and 1903, still performed in front of thousands of spectators each week. </p>
<p>In fact, despite the financial struggles of many clubs, average attendances are as healthy as ever in the lower leagues, as the following graph shows. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290268/original/file-20190830-165993-19q9vcq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290268/original/file-20190830-165993-19q9vcq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290268/original/file-20190830-165993-19q9vcq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290268/original/file-20190830-165993-19q9vcq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290268/original/file-20190830-165993-19q9vcq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290268/original/file-20190830-165993-19q9vcq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290268/original/file-20190830-165993-19q9vcq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290268/original/file-20190830-165993-19q9vcq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Carl Singleton and James Reade</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The English Football League (EFL) is a collection of chairs of member clubs and has no formal obligation to fans, but its entire existence depends on them. It is precisely fan loyalty that has led to football clubs displaying an <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-its-so-hard-to-kill-off-a-football-club-55197">unerring ability to survive</a>, and it seems likely this leads to the reckless decisions made by some club owners, which can lead to their decline and even demise. </p>
<h2>Bad management</h2>
<p><a href="http://college.holycross.edu/RePEc/spe/Szymanski_Insolvency.pdf">Research by economist Stefan Szymanski</a> suggests issues generally mount up after significant negative shocks such as dropping down a division or falling out of contention for European football. Badly run teams get relegated, sometimes after overreaching, and then fall into insolvency. </p>
<p>The English Football League, in addition to UEFA through its <a href="https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/protecting-the-game/financial-fair-play/">Financial Fair Play regulations</a>, has tried to mitigate against the bad running of clubs. The EFL is supposed to apply a <a href="https://www.efl.com/-more/governance/efl-rules--regulations/appendix-3---owners-and-directors-test/">fit-and-proper-person (director’s) test</a> in the case of a club takeover. In its 14-year history, just four people have failed the test. That begs the question: is it fit for purpose?</p>
<p>A more fundamental problem is a lack of financial transparency, which allows clubs to be badly run and mostly hides this fact from the real world, usually until it is too late. </p>
<p>There is more that the English Football League can do to help clubs from falling into insolvency. If negative shocks such as demotion are the main cause of this, then the effects of bad seasons need to be better cushioned. This would reduce rather than enlarge the gaps between divisions.</p>
<p>Sport flourishes when it is interesting, typically meaning there is enough competitive balance. In football, this balance requires economic collusion (which is the opposite of competition) to ensure the differences between teams don’t become too great.</p>
<p>One way the English Football League could achieve this is through distributing the revenues from TV deals more evenly across the leagues. Greater transparency is vital too. The publication of annual, unabbreviated accounts ought to be required. The EFL should remove owners rather than clubs if published accounts are inaccurate or manipulated.</p>
<p>Dishearteningly, the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49493210">initial musings</a> from the league’s executive chair after Bury’s expulsion suggest it is blissfully ignorant of what the latest research says, with no direct mention of the growing gaps between the divisions, especially the gap between the Premier League and those below it, being a major problem. The EFL is also clearly unwilling to invoke the kind of transparency that would be necessary to prevent any more communities losing their football heritage.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122727/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carl Singleton receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Reade does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The English Football League has no formal obligation to fans, even though its entire existence depends on them.Carl Singleton, Lecturer in Economics, University of ReadingJames Reade, Associate Professor of Economics, University of ReadingLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1198882019-07-05T09:16:25Z2019-07-05T09:16:25ZWomen’s football may be growing in popularity but the game is still fighting for survival<p>As the World Cup has vividly shown, women’s football is growing in popularity and status with increasing participation, professionalisation and media attention across the world. But, in <a href="https://fifpro.org/attachments/article/6986/2017%2520FIFPro%2520Women%2520Football%2520Global%2520Employment%2520Report-Final.pdf">our recent investigation</a> into the women’s game, we find it is still fighting for a stable footing.</p>
<p>We surveyed 3,000 players in 33 different countries, of whom 60% categorised themselves as professional. What we found was that a professional football career for women is hard to sustain in the face of low pay, a lack of contractual support, and commitments away from the pitch. There is a need for significant change to the way women footballers are supported to play for club and country alike.</p>
<h2>Gender inequality</h2>
<p>What we found was a paradox. On the one hand, there is a growing interest in women’s football at both club and international levels, reflected in increased media coverage. The World Cup semi-final between England and the USA attraced an average audience of <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48851455">10.3m viewers on the BBC</a> in the UK and <a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/2019/07/03/us-england-game-averaged-just-over-7-million-viewers-on-fox/39652905/">7m viewers on Fox in the US</a>.</p>
<p>But, on the other hand, the working conditions in the game are no way near where they should be to reflect this. Gender inequality is well documented in other sectors of the economy and our study confirms that football also suffers in equal, if not greater measure – not only from very low levels of pay but also precarious working conditions and a lack of basic support.</p>
<p>At elite level, the process of professionalisation is underway in several countries. FIFA claim that around 30m women play the game globally, and that 5m are registered with a national association. In its <a href="https://resources.fifa.com/image/upload/women-s-football-strategy.pdf?cloudid=z7w21ghir8jb9tguvbcq">current strategy document</a> for women’s football, the governing body paints a rosy picture of the current reality, describing the sport as “cutting across all boundaries in terms of society, race, religion, ethnicity and socioeconomic circumstances”.</p>
<p>But our research found that there are significant hurdles to overcome in order to make football a secure career for women. We found that 89% of women footballers consider leaving the game early and were looking for opportunities outside the sport, with low pay and precarious contracts playing a significant role.</p>
<h2>Low pay</h2>
<p>In terms of pay, most players received salaries of less than US$1,000 a month and earnings dropped as players got older. The top five countries to “adequately pay” their players – enough to cover the expenses incurred from playing – include Germany, Uzbekistan, England, Sweden and the US. But 20 to 30% of players in those countries reported that they were not paid enough.</p>
<p>Of course, this means that female footballers are paid a fraction of their male counterparts. <a href="https://globalsportssalaries.com/GSSS%202017.pdf">Research from Sporting Intelligence</a>, a consultancy that carries out a big annual survey of global sporting salaries, found that the average salary in the English Premier League, for example, is on average 99 times higher than the top paid women counterparts.</p>
<p>Women footballers not only face problems around pay, but also a number of challenges around other crucial aspects of their work. These include the lack of contractual stability and agent support, as well the absence of appropriate childcare. All these expose them to insecure working conditions. </p>
<p>In our research, 53% of female footballers didn’t have a written contract in place. Although it was true that some women’s clubs are providing sick pay for injured players, many clubs are lagging behind.</p>
<h2>The role of national teams</h2>
<p>The profile of national teams and tournaments such as the World Cup account for much of the growth seen in women’s football. But just over a third of players revealed that they received no payment from their national team and some even had to pay themselves to play. Countries where the large majority of players reported not being paid to play included countries with developed female football, including the US (77% not being paid to play) and France (62.5% not being paid to play). </p>
<p>Even in cases where players get paid, 42% said they did not get paid enough to cover their expenses. Countries where a significant percentage of players reported being paid adequately included Portugal (100%), Japan (67%), Italy (60%) and Germany (80%). Daily allowances were modest (US$75) and bonuses for winning a match, although only paid to less than 10% of players, averaged US$754, with the highest win bonus being reported as US$3,000. </p>
<p>Since clubs are not paying enough for women to play, there could now be a role for the national teams to provide that support in order to supplement – but not to replace – what clubs are doing. This would help more women stay in the game.</p>
<p>Women face an uphill struggle to maintain a career in football. Against this challenging picture, it’s important that clubs, leagues and national sides explore ways to stabilise the working conditions for female footballers. They should consider the structures that will enable them to flourish – on and off the pitch – alongside their male counterparts.</p>
<p>While there are positives to draw from the findings, with lower levels of discrimination than the men’s game, reasonable levels of medical and psychological support, and high levels of solidarity, it is clear that women’s football has still got a long way to go.</p>
<p>Our message is for everyone involved in women’s football – be it FIFA, the regional confederations, national associations, as well as public policymakers – to take women’s football seriously and ensure that more women can enjoy decent, fair work conditions as they pursue their professional football careers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/119888/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aristea Koukiadaki received funding for the research mentioned in this article from FifPro.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoff Pearson received funding for the research mentioned in this article from FifPro.</span></em></p>Survey of 3,000 players in 33 different countries outlines how difficult it is for women footballers.Aristea Koukiadaki, Senior Lecturer, University of ManchesterGeoff Pearson, Senior Lecturer, School of Law, University of ManchesterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1180872019-05-31T11:25:31Z2019-05-31T11:25:31ZChampions League final: how money buys success on the pitch<p>Following Chelsea’s victory over London rivals Arsenal in the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48451536">UEFA Europa League final</a> in Azerbaijan, attention has now turned to the upcoming UEFA Champions League final, which is taking place on June 1 in Madrid. This final will see yet another two English teams battling for the trophy, in a country where European competition trophies tend to stay.</p>
<p>It’s the first time that all four teams in the European finals <a href="http://theconversation.com/premier-league-how-englands-clubs-swept-to-european-football-dominance-117030">have been English</a>. And the English Premier League’s commercial success begs the question of whether money has been the driving force for the success of these teams on the pitch.</p>
<p>In terms of overall league success, the English Premier League dominates European football when it comes to income, leaving the rest of the leagues far behind. According to the latest <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/sports-business-group/articles/annual-review-of-football-finance.html#">Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance</a>, the English top league had a total revenue of €5.44 billion in the 2017-18 season. This is almost the same as the next two leagues in the rankings put together, Germany’s Bundesliga (€3.17 billion) and Spain’s La Liga (€3.1 billion). </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277355/original/file-20190531-69055-wtp06f.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277355/original/file-20190531-69055-wtp06f.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277355/original/file-20190531-69055-wtp06f.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277355/original/file-20190531-69055-wtp06f.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277355/original/file-20190531-69055-wtp06f.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277355/original/file-20190531-69055-wtp06f.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277355/original/file-20190531-69055-wtp06f.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277355/original/file-20190531-69055-wtp06f.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The English league’s revenues are far greater than their European rivals.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/sports-business-group/articles/annual-review-of-football-finance.html#">Deloitte</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But the EPL’s astonishing commercial success is an older phenomenon. It has topped football finance rankings for the last decade. Seeing this translate to success on the pitch in European competitions is relatively new. After all, historically, it has been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/22/has-one-league-ever-dominated-european-football-like-la-liga">Spanish clubs</a> that have dominated the European competitions, winning trophy after trophy since the early 2000s. </p>
<p>When we look at the revenue of specific clubs, the picture becomes a bit more complex. The most financially successful English club has always been Manchester United, which also historically topped Europe’s money rankings and only made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season, while failing to qualify for it in 2020. </p>
<p>According to Deloitte’s detailed breakdown of club financial performance, the <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/sports-business-group/articles/deloitte-football-money-league.html">Football Money League</a>, the best performing European team was Real Madrid, followed by Barcelona and then Manchester United. The revenue generated by the two Champions League finalists, Liverpool and Tottenham in the 2017-18 season ranks them seventh and tenth respectively. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277357/original/file-20190531-69071-1bnhx9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277357/original/file-20190531-69071-1bnhx9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277357/original/file-20190531-69071-1bnhx9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277357/original/file-20190531-69071-1bnhx9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277357/original/file-20190531-69071-1bnhx9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277357/original/file-20190531-69071-1bnhx9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277357/original/file-20190531-69071-1bnhx9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277357/original/file-20190531-69071-1bnhx9n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Liverpool and Tottenham are the seventh and tenth biggest earners in Europe.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/sports-business-group/articles/deloitte-football-money-league.html">Deloitte</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While both clubs increased their income and subsequent ranking from the season before (2016-17), they still rank well behind Spain’s Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, and England’s Manchester United. Tottenahm’s revenue of €428.3m was nearly half that of top ranking Real Madrid’s €750.9m.</p>
<p>In fact, the clubs that appeared in the top six positions in this year’s revenue table did not participate in either UEFA competition final. So it seems that money does not automatically equal success.</p>
<h2>A competitive ecosystem</h2>
<p>Nevertheless, money clearly plays a role in today’s competitive sport ecosystem. While this relationship might not be a direct analogy of “money equals automatic victory”, with a number of the clubs appearing on the Deloitte list having not won a European trophy for years, it does suggest that the two are related. Liverpool and Tottenham may not top the financial league tables, but they still rank fairly high. </p>
<p>It’s also useful to look at how clubs spend their revenues and the extent that they can buy success through buying top players. Tottenham did not spend any money on new players in 2018-19, but <a href="https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tottenham-hotspur/alletransfers/verein/148">did spend €123.4m in 2017-18</a> including €28.9m on player Lucas Moura who was instrumental in getting them to the final.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tY5stQvwkBA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Liverpool on the other hand spent €185.7m on new players in the 2018-19 season and €177.2m the year before. This included more than €60m on a much-needed new goalkeeper and more than €40m on star striker Mo Salah. So arguably their success has come at greater cost. In 2018-19, only Chelsea outspent Liverpool in terms of <a href="https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/transfers/wettbewerb/GB1">transfer market activity</a>. </p>
<p>Of course, buying top players can only get you so far. They need to play well together and there is also the role of luck when it comes to whether or not players get injured – something Tottenham have struggled with this season, with top striker Harry Kane and others out for much of the season.</p>
<p>Looking at it from a non-football perspective, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19406940.2017.1387587">research</a> I’ve carried out into sport governing bodies underlines the challenges that sports bodies are faced with in terms of securing profitable revenue streams. Colleagues and I found that there is a virtuous (or vicious) circle in sport where money leads to success and then success to more money, and vice versa. We found that a number of sport governing bodies have been hit by the government’s austerity policies. These cuts mean a lack of secure funding which led to an unavoidable and dangerous vicious circle of less success. </p>
<p>So Tottenham – the underdog in terms of historic financial performance and on the pitch – will be hoping to develop a more virtuous cycle in the club’s first ever Champions League final. Meanwhile, Liverpool will hope to build on their experience and past successes in Europe’s top flight. Money may not be the only key to sporting success, but it is certainly an important ingredient to it nonetheless.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/118087/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Argyro Elisavet Manoli does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The English Premier League has long topped the football finance rankings but seeing this translate on the pitch in Europe is relatively new.Argyro Elisavet Manoli, Lecturer in Sports Marketing and Communications, Loughborough UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1170302019-05-28T12:01:59Z2019-05-28T12:01:59ZPremier League: how England’s clubs swept to European football dominance<p>Imagine the archetypal Hollywood blockbuster, where heroes battle adversity and come out on top. This is the kind of movie laden with star names and big brand product placements. Like an addition to the Star Wars franchise, it stirs emotions while turning over massive business worldwide.</p>
<p>This is the level of entertainment currently provided by English football. So much so that it should be considered one of Hollywood’s biggest rivals – positioned to take a massive bite out of the movie industry’s never-ending pursuit for the public’s attention (and cash). </p>
<p>After a series of games packed full of drama and commercial opportunities that would make a Beverley Hills producer salivate, English Premier League (EPL) clubs secured all four places <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48218123">in the finals of Europe’s top club competitions</a>, UEFA’s Champions and Europa Leagues. This is the first time in history that one nation has dominated in such a way, with Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Chelsea securing the available slots. </p>
<p>Football fans in Liverpool and north London have inevitably revelled in the victories of “their” clubs. So too has much of Britain, even those who might normally have little interest in football. For the purists, this has been the stuff of legend. It plays to a self-perpetuating idea that frequently casts England as the home of football. </p>
<p>It has also been an opportunity for long-term club loyalists to claim the victories as a reinforcement of their community’s identities. There was even some respite from the tortuous Brexit political impasse. For once, England feels on top of the world.</p>
<p>But the less glamorous truth is that the passage of the four English clubs into the European finals was the result of industry, money and politics. English football’s success is an entertainment product nearly three decades in the making, and comes via smart commercial management, international free trade, and developments in broadcasting and globalisation, all of which have been helped by a prevailing free market ideology. </p>
<h2>A cosmopolitan affair</h2>
<p>The EPL was established in 1992 to do exactly what it is now doing. The essence of its formation was an emphasis on improving performance (both in international competitions and financially), stronger management, and commercial development. Nobody should therefore be surprised about the success English clubs are enjoying. However, it seems fanciful – disingenuous even – to claim that this is a success for English football. If anything, the country is merely the location for production of a global entertainment behemoth. </p>
<p>Only one of the clubs (Tottenham) is British owned – albeit by someone who <a href="https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/news/joe-lewis-tottenham-transfer-rumours-12773340">resides in the Bahamas</a>. The others are owned by <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45102559">Americans</a> <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/who-are-liverpools-owners-fenway-sports-group/1rag4ff3i7jor19zqk3csntasm">and</a> a <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sunday-times-rich-list-chelsea-owner-roman-abramovich-wealth-vvsx2sv55">Russian</a>. All four team managers are from overseas (an Argentinian, a German, an Italian and a Spaniard). The shirt sponsors take in a Japanese tyre brand (Yokohama), a Middle East airline (Emirates) and a Hong Kong insurance company (AIA). Most of the players appearing in the semi-final games were from elsewhere – only eight players out of the 44 who started on the pitch were English. </p>
<p>The EPL’s inception coincided with both the European Union’s Bosman ruling (which boosted the <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10100134/how-the-bosman-rule-changed-football-20-years-on">free movement of footballers</a>) and with globalisation, which has dramatically increased cross-border business, from talent recruitment to securing commercial partners. Hence, it is no surprise that the EPL has become such a cosmopolitan affair. </p>
<h2>Big money</h2>
<p>Every drama needs screen time to sustain its success, and satellite broadcasting to global audiences has brought in vast revenues for EPL clubs, which in turn sustains player acquisitions and major infrastructural investments. All of which has been enabled by the British government’s prevailing laissez-faire approach to industrial policy, characterised by <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/4x9kxn/how-football-explains-capitalism">financial gain and capitalism</a>.</p>
<p>As a result, the EPL has not only developed as a big brand in its own right, it has induced a clustering effect, helping the brands around it grow. The likes of Manchester United and Manchester City are now among some of the world’s most valuable sports brands, while players appearing in the league routinely appear on lists of the world’s most marketable athletes. In turn, sponsorship consultancies, stadium design companies, data analysis agencies and more have all been able to build their businesses on the back of links to the Premier League. </p>
<p>Yet in the league’s brand constellation, it is not just the football business that has benefited. Brand Britain has become a star too. In rankings of soft power, the UK’s often pre-eminent position is partly <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/football-uk-brexit-soft-power-arsenal-premiere-league-527228">attributed to the EPL effect</a>. Politicians have been quick to take advantage of this; Tony Blair used it <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/189217.stm">to strike trade deals with China</a>, while the current government often enlists the help of clubs when it goes on <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/british-embassy-doha-hosts-sport-is-great-event-in-qatar">overseas trade missions</a>. </p>
<p>Football helps sell what the rest of Britain also has to offer. So compelling has the EPL’s economic impact become, that it now publishes details of its contribution to <a href="https://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY-Premier-League-economic-and-social-impact-January-2019/$FILE/EY-Premier-League-economic-and-social-impact-January-2019.pdf">national income and employment</a>.</p>
<p>The 2019 Champions League and Europa League finals may nevertheless mark the highest point of English football’s industrial success story. Clouds are gathering on the horizon – one outcome of which has been the EPL’s failure <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jan/17/premier-league-tim-davie-declines-chief-executive-richard-scudamore-susanna-dinnage">to recruit a new chief executive</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/british-sport-on-uncertain-legal-ground-as-brexit-looms-61655">Brexit</a>, changes in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/jan/31/mobile-changing-face-broadcast">broadcasting technology</a>, shifts in the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/events/business-of-sport/what-is-the-future-of-sports-consumption/">consumption of content</a>, and growing competition from rivals <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47710833">such as Spain’s La Liga</a> all threaten English football’s global competitive advantage. Whoever replaces outgoing CEO of the EPL, Richard Scudamore, has a big job on their hands.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/117030/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Chadwick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The English Premier League was established in 1992 to do exactly what it is now doing.Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sports Enterprise, University of SalfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1101122019-01-18T13:20:56Z2019-01-18T13:20:56ZWhy the era of Chinese football clubs splashing big money on international stars is over<p>Football fans love a rumour. With the transfer window in various parts of the world currently open for players to switch clubs, this means click-bait stories are currently cluttering the world’s media outlets.</p>
<p>None more so than the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46913367">“Arnautovic to China” gossip</a>, which has caused speculation that English Premier League club West Ham United’s Austrian international Marko Arnautovic is heading east in a multi-million pound deal with last season’s Chinese Super League (CSL) winners, Shanghai SIPG.</p>
<p>If stories are to be believed, the Shanghai club’s opening gambit was a £35m bid, though subsequent rumours have surfaced that the Austrian’s agent (also his brother) is pushing for a deal <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/west-ham-to-receive-new-45m-bid-for-mark-arnautovic-kngk2cn2l">worth in the region of £45m</a>. West Ham fans in particular have taken to social media in their droves, debating whether Arnautovic is worth it, should West Ham keep him, and whether the prospective Chinese buyers have more money than sense.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1086170160090759168"}"></div></p>
<p>Such chatter is, however, the stuff of fantasy football and content hungry newspapers. It’s far more likely that Arnautovic’s brother is merely alerting the market to the player’s potential availability and to his desire for a big pay cheque.</p>
<p>There’s nothing new in this as, with each passing transfer window, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-science-behind-football-transfer-rumours-16293">signals and rumours</a> often cause more excitement than many of the player signings themselves. In this instance, though, it is mention of Shanghai that is the surprise.</p>
<h2>Stemming the flow</h2>
<p>Four years ago, President Xi Jinping had just <a href="https://theconversation.com/world-cup-glory-is-xi-jinpings-dream-for-china-96750">proclaimed his desire</a> for China to become one of the world’s leading football nations. This sparked a transfer frenzy among Chinese Super League clubs, resulting in players from Europe and South America moving there for big transfer fees and large wage packets.</p>
<p>But the greed of overseas players allied to the ill-judged speculation of Chinese investors was of considerable concern to the government in Beijing. Not only was there a sense that <a href="https://deadspin.com/carlos-tevez-on-his-time-stealing-money-from-chinese-cl-1822127501">foreigners were taking advantage of China</a>, more generally there were worries about overseas currency flows and troubling economic data that showed the country’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-chinese-slowdown-will-hit-global-growth-46655">growth was slowing</a>.</p>
<p>Under instruction from the authorities, the Chinese Football Association thus set about introducing measures aimed at stemming the flow of what some had labelled <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/10/sports/soccer/players-find-path-to-china-can-be-a-golden-one.html">“overseas mercenaries”</a> into China’s football clubs.</p>
<p>The first of these involved the imposition of limits to the number of foreigners in a club’s playing squad. For Arnautovic, this remains an important detail that somewhat undermines the stories about his impending arrival out east. SIPG already has its full quota of four overseas players, and can’t sign any more unless they sell someone else first. For the time being at least this doesn’t look likely.</p>
<p>And then there’s the not insignificant matter of tax. Following ludicrously extravagant spending by Chinese clubs on overseas players with questionable motives (and talents), a state tax was <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/657d3dec-12f6-11e8-940e-08320fc2a277">imposed on such signings</a>. At one level, its introduction was framed in economic terms: only loss making CSL clubs need to pay the tax. The issue remains: these clubs typically don’t make a profit, consequently they face a 100% levy on any signings of foreigners such as Arnautovic.</p>
<p>In these terms, stories about a £45m SIPG deal for him beg the question: is that including or excluding the tax? If it’s the latter, then were there any substance to the gossip, football is on the cusp of its fourth most expensive player in transfer history. For those who know anything about Arnautovic, this could well make them wince.</p>
<p>And should any of the parties to all of this be looking for ways of engaging in tax avoidance, they are best reminded of last year’s move by Congolese international Cedric Bakambu from Spain’s Villareal to Beijing Guoan. The Chinese government quickly, and successfully, closed any loopholes when the clubs involved <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43242006">sought ways of getting out of the payment</a>.</p>
<h2>China first</h2>
<p>It is therefore not unreasonable to speculate that Marko Arnautovic’s proposed move to Shanghai will not happen. But if it does, it will likely be for a fee that is considerably less than social media’s various communities have been discussing. </p>
<p>Even then parties to a deal would need to satisfactorily navigate through the CSL’s maximum wage regulations, standardised player contracts and ongoing, stringent state controls that remain in place to prevent capital flight from China. Agreeing a deal is one thing, actually getting the money out of China is another.</p>
<p>Beyond the economics, Chinese officials are determined that whatever money is spent in football it should benefit the country’s national teams. The free-market frenzy of four years ago cost the country dearly but delivered very little. Now, revenues collected from the player tax are being spent on domestic football development activities.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the rapidly developed governance system now encircling Chinese football is not simply regulation for regulation’s sake. Rather, it is founded on the notion of “China first”, and a desire for the country’s national teams to compete alongside the world’s best. </p>
<p>As such, while overseas players and their agents might anticipate a financial windfall by moving to China, the reality is considerably different. In the eyes of Xi and his officials, “Arnautovic to China” is presumably seen as being of little benefit to their World Cup aspirations. Hence for this reason, eye-watering multi-million pound moves are unlikely to happen again any time soon.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/110112/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Chadwick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Rumours that West Ham’s Marko Arnautovic is heading to China in a multi-million pound deal are a classic symptom of the transfer window.Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sports Enterprise, University of SalfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1046522018-10-16T11:54:21Z2018-10-16T11:54:21ZManchester United: hated, adored, never ignored – where next for Mourinho, Woodward and the club?<p>“Hated, adored, and never ignored” is a slogan <a href="https://footballunitedblogs.wordpress.com/2011/05/14/hated-adored-never-ignore-perceptions-of-manchester-united/">well-known to Manchester United fans</a>. They could certainly be forgiven for thinking that the spotlight is shining very brightly on their club this season, too. With well-documented issues on and off the field, problems with playing style and a grumpy manager, it would not be uncommon for you to think that Manchester United had been toppled from their position as one of the world’s strongest football brands. </p>
<p>But herein lies the paradox. In the latest issue of the <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/sports-business-group/deloitte-uk-sbg-dfml2018.pdf">Deloitte Money League</a>, which ranks football clubs by revenue, Manchester United finished top for the tenth time in the last 21 years. In the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbespr/2018/07/18/forbes-releases-2018-list-of-the-worlds-most-valuable-sports-teams/#586347df75ff">Forbes list of the world’s most valuable sports teams</a>, they finished second behind the Dallas Cowboys and were the highest placed football club. And, in a recent report by media company <a href="http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/manchester-united-sponsorship-revenue-report">CSM Sport and Entertainment</a>, they topped the club-by-club list, having generated £272m a year from more than 70 different sponsors. </p>
<p>When it comes to off-field metrics, Manchester United dominates the performance tables – even when it is struggling on the pitch.</p>
<h2>Looking forward, glancing back</h2>
<p>After releasing some of Manchester United’s most recent financial results, the club’s executive vice chair, Ed Woodward indicated that <a href="http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/results-do-nothing-for-man-utds-commercial-might-woodward/xvynhg0ogqjf1m4uqmwkcq554">playing performance did little to affect the club’s commercial might</a>. Indeed, despite a relatively lean period of playing success since the departure of manager Alex Ferguson in 2013 and during the comings and goings of three different managers, Manchester United generated revenues of <a href="http://priceoffootball.com/manchester-united-2018-finances-made-of-stone/">nearly £600m</a> in 2017-18.</p>
<iframe src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/jVPas/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The club’s <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/MANU:US">stock price</a> has been more turbulent, but remains high at US$20 per share today compared to US$18 this time last year.</p>
<p>Yet, for all of Ed Woodward’s protestations to the contrary, the evidence is fairly clear: financial performance is inextricably linked to playing performance. The club even makes reference to it in its annual reports, saying in the <a href="https://ir.manutd.com/%7E/media/Files/M/Manutd-IR/documents/2018-mu-plc-form-20-f.pdf">most recent set of accounts</a> that “forward-looking statements may be influenced by … our dependence on the performance and popularity of our first team”.</p>
<p>Winning on the pitch absolutely equates to more revenue. Research makes it clear that a team that returns better playing performances will also fare better in the financial statements. Working with Simon Shibli, we devised a formula <a href="https://js.sagamorepub.com/jasm/article/view/7353">to measure the holistic performance of professional football clubs</a>. This assessment took into account a range of performance indicators including revenues, profits and cash balances, alongside stadium use data and league points.</p>
<p>We found that Manchester United returned a near perfect score with revenues rising as a result of sustained playing success and finished way in front of their rivals, as the following chart illustrates: </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240310/original/file-20181011-154542-1uvuyd8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240310/original/file-20181011-154542-1uvuyd8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240310/original/file-20181011-154542-1uvuyd8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240310/original/file-20181011-154542-1uvuyd8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240310/original/file-20181011-154542-1uvuyd8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240310/original/file-20181011-154542-1uvuyd8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240310/original/file-20181011-154542-1uvuyd8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240310/original/file-20181011-154542-1uvuyd8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Average Financial Performance versus Average Sporting Performance 1993-2013.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author Data</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Commercial powerhouse, underachiever</h2>
<p>Despite MUFC topping the revenue charts, showing excellent growth since 2000, its growth in commercial value has been non-existent since 2016, increasing by a modest £8m in two years. With broadcasting revenue being distributed fairly equally (and fixed by broadcasters) and ticket revenue determined by stadium capacity, commercial revenue is the only way a club can really pull away from its competitors in monetary terms. </p>
<p>As one of the world’s most iconic football brands, it’s not always as difficult to attract sponsors. But could United have generated a higher return had its results been more positive? </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/kohler-unveiled-as-man-united-principal-partner-and-shirt-sleeve-sponsor">recent shirt sleeve sponsorship</a> with American manufacturing company Kohler, worth an estimated £20m, is again the highest value sleeve sponsorship in the league. But what value might it have commanded had MUFC won the premier league title in recent seasons, or had they not left the UEFA Champions League early last season after a dismal performance, before they signed the deal? </p>
<p>United have been smart. They have tied headline sponsors down to long contracts with shirt sponsor Chevrolet paying for a seven season deal worth £53m a year. Adidas makes its kit under licence <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3171849/Manchester-United-rake-750m-new-adidas-deal-Sportmail-looks-went-scenes-13-year-relationship-Nike-ended.html">for £75m per season and is committed to ten years</a>. What would those deals be worth if renegotiated now?</p>
<h2>The special one</h2>
<p>United have spent heavily on transfers since 2013, with only cross-city rivals Manchester City outspending them. But it is results that keep managers in a job and Jose Mourinho – the self-styled “special one” – is on thin ice. The <a href="https://www.21stclub.com/">well-respected 21st Club</a> predicts the end of season finishing positions after every fixture and currently projects MUFC to finish on 67 points in sixth place. They won 64 under David Moyes (manager 2013-14) and 66 under Louis Van Gaal (manager 2014-16, before he was sacked the day after winning the FA Cup in May 2016). </p>
<p>Sixth place would mean missing out on the UEFA Champions League, costing the club at least £35m in unearned revenue – a figure not too far away from the compensation they’d probably have to pay if they sacked Mourinho. The <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13606719.2014.910000?casa_token=YtB9H1RwwRQAAAAA:NuQAOtCccRya39M3BVPWZ2uaFIDAp2cPXiUtn6K-i5A3y3CD_ZFBFq5kHUraU39UV50FDvhMjmGQaA">academic evidence</a> would also support a change earlier in the season, to give a new manager time to make a difference. The question is whether Ed Woodward wants to roll the dice.</p>
<p>Goals, rather than profits, tend to get fans out of bed in the morning and despite a recent second half performance to get them shouting against Newcastle United, United fans have had little to excite them this season. While they may have set the standard that others can only dream of when it comes to revenue generation, it is clear that they need to wake up, smell the coffee and start winning again.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/104652/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>So far, Manchester United’s poor performance on the pitch has not hurt its bottom line. But it’s only a matter of time.Rob Wilson, Head of Subject; Sport Business Management, Sheffield Hallam UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/911332018-02-05T13:39:30Z2018-02-05T13:39:30ZSuper Bowl: how bots, brands and the alt-right highjacked the event on social media<p>The Philadelphia Eagles’ <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/american-football/42940719">stunning defeat</a> of the New England Patriots in this year’s Super Bowl will have fans talking about the game for years to come. As one of the biggest events in the annual sporting calendar – with <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/super-bowl-2018-ratings-how-many-people-will-watch-new-england-patriots-798749">around 100m people</a> tuning in to watch it – the social media buzz around SB52 was huge. The event normally generates <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/06/super-bowl-posts-on-social-media-are-up-from-last-year-but-didnt-top-2015s-record-numbers/">around 27m tweets</a> – but it’s only sometimes about American football. </p>
<p>Mostly the chatter is about other things, including popstars and politics. In collaboration with Mentionmapp Analytics, a Twitter analysis tool, we examined what the social media conversations were about, plus who was leading and influencing them. Over the last week we have tracked and analysed relevant #Superbowl52 or #SB52 hashtags, Twitter accounts and message content. Bots, brand jackers, big shots, as well as traditional businesses all bossed the social media space. </p>
<p>Bots – web robots – are essentially software applications that run automated scripts, enabling simple tasks to be repetitively undertaken. The Super Bowl is fertile territory for them, as they can easily use event hashtags to draw peoples’ attention to brands and products. In particular, we saw a preponderance of betting bots churning out promotional offers and Super Bowl odds linked to gambling businesses.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"959532201779122177"}"></div></p>
<p>Bots were also used to generate political propaganda posts. A number of automated messages promoting often extreme views were shared through the SB52 hastags with a wide audience. Although not exclusively an extremist phenomenon, America’s alt-right seems to have dominated in this regard, with many of its advocates trolling the event. </p>
<p>Several times during the week before the Super Bowl, the right-wing internet celebrity Laura Loomer loomed large in our analysis. In particular, her concerns about the Muslim community in Minnesota (where the event was staged) and the threat of terrorism garnered widespread attention among large numbers of Twitter users. As the game approached, the alt-right in general became even more vocal, gatecrashing the Super Bowl social media party by discussing it in an overtly political way.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"957803754333417477"}"></div></p>
<p>Brand jacking involves someone or something appropriating the online identity of another social media entity, with the intention of using its brand assets for their own purposes. Big events like the Super Bowl have <a href="https://www.mnsuperbowl.com/official-partners">official partners</a>, which pay a premium for the right to be associated with the show, including things like using official logos in their communications. Brands such as Michelob used Twitter to both create and sustain conversations around the event.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"958000664898027521"}"></div></p>
<p>But a number of brands do not pay for this privilege. In traditional media, marketers might refer to this as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-ambush-marketing-campaigns-2012-6?IR=T">ambushing</a>. Plenty of businesses used the Super Bowl to promote their products – simply through using the hashtag or even going so far as to use official logos in their communications. We saw a number of bars and restaurants doing this to advertise their products during the game, even though they have no legal right of association. Others, which had nothing to do with the Super Bowl also jumped on the bandwagon, from web developers to <a href="https://twitter.com/IGN/status/960336002295328769">video games companies</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"958806401094107136"}"></div></p>
<p>Another person influencing the social media buzz, pretty much every day before the Bowl took place, was Kris Wu. Wu is a big shot Chinese-Canadian singer and former K-pop sensation. He recently signed a deal with the NFL to be an ambassador for the sport in China, which the NFL sees as a lucrative new market for American football. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"960064265708232705"}"></div></p>
<p>As well as his half-time performance, Wu is also performing at a ten-day music festival in Minneapolis to mark the Super Bowl. It will be streamed by one of China’s biggest social media platforms, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-tencent-became-the-worlds-most-valuable-social-network-firm-with-barely-any-advertising-90334">Tencent</a>, and will showcase both the NFL and telecoms giant Verizon to the China market. </p>
<p>Television adverts shown during the Super Bowl have historically been the marketing <a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-seahawks-vs-broncos-ads-are-the-super-bowl-stars-22553">showpiece</a> of the event – to the extent that they have become part of its heritage and are eagerly awaited by viewers. But, as the world has shifted online and social media has enabled interactivity, so people are now talking about them on platforms like Twitter. </p>
<p>Whether it was armchair alt-right antagonists or China-focused cheerleaders championing corporate America, our analysis of social media conversations shows that the Super Bowl is a massive talking point. Who does the talking and what they talk about might not have anything to do with sport and can even be somewhat sinister. But one thing that hasn’t changed is that the conversation is often driven by vested interests.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91133/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Bots, brand jackers, big shots, as well as traditional businesses all bossed the Super Bowl social media space.Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sports Enterprise, University of SalfordAlex Fenton, Lecturer in Digital Business, University of SalfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/891842018-01-23T13:48:00Z2018-01-23T13:48:00ZDoes spending big in the football transfer window get results? Two experts crunch the data<p>Football clubs in the English Premier League have found this month’s transfer window an expensive experience. With Liverpool breaking the world record for a defender, with the signing of <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/12/27/liverpool-agree-world-record-75m-deal-virgil-van-dijk/">Virgil van Dijk</a> and sale of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42608692">Phillipe Coutinho</a> to Barcelona, for a fee rising to £142m – bargains are in short supply. So is it worth spending the money?</p>
<p>Many clubs are finding it a challenge to weigh up their options ahead of the transfer window slamming shut at the end of the month. Should they back their manager and spend? Can they afford it? And, with so much riding on a Premier League place, should they stick with the players they’ve got or twist and buy more? </p>
<p>Here we make sense of the data from recent seasons to work out what can be done and what could work.</p>
<h2>New manager, players or both?</h2>
<p>The clubs at the bottom of the league have already been busy trying to change their fortunes. West Ham United, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion all made a managerial change before the window opened. Two, Palace and West Ham have seen an upturn in results, climbing out of the relegation zone. Swansea City also decided a change was necessary over the Christmas period and Stoke City have parted company with manager <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42332958">Mark Hughes</a> following a slump in form which saw them drop into the bottom three and exit the FA Cup at the hands of Coventry City, three leagues below them. </p>
<p>With <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13606719.2014.910000">recent research</a> suggesting that changing a manager mid-season is worth an average improvement of three league positions (assuming the change is made early enough for them to have an impact), it’s hardly surprising to see these gains in action. Three positions could be the difference between survival and relegation (which can <a href="http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10879090/what-is-the-cost-of-premier-league-relegation-for-sunderland-middlesbrough-and-hull-city">make or break a club’s financial stability</a>). Or a lucrative place in a European competition. Perhaps this was the thinking behind Watford’s surprise <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42765881">sacking of coach Marco Silva</a>. His departure was the eighth of the season in the Premier League – that’s 40% of managers already losing their job. </p>
<p>With this in mind, it is easy to see why clubs are keen to put a new manager in place at the start of the transfer window. Based on current standings, any club in the bottom half can realistically be considered in danger and those who haven’t yet shown their hand (such as Newcastle, Bournemouth and Southampton) are left playing playing Russian roulette. </p>
<p>So let us consider who could change their fortunes and see whether past windows can help clubs make that illusive, right decision.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201341/original/file-20180109-36016-4g5q06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201341/original/file-20180109-36016-4g5q06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201341/original/file-20180109-36016-4g5q06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201341/original/file-20180109-36016-4g5q06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201341/original/file-20180109-36016-4g5q06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201341/original/file-20180109-36016-4g5q06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201341/original/file-20180109-36016-4g5q06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201341/original/file-20180109-36016-4g5q06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Net Gain/Net Loss (Transfer Spend vs. Relegation or Survival)</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author data</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ironically, Swansea City find themselves in exactly the same position as they were on New Years Day 2017 – bottom of the table. Two days later, they appointed a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38492260">new manager</a> and spent £18m on new transfers. These two decisions helped them to a 15th place finish and league safety (a gain of five places). A position that equated to <a href="https://www.premierleague.com/news/405400">£9.7m extra revenue</a> for the club. Even more importantly, by avoiding relegation they retained about £60m in TV money. With this in mind, £18m on transfers looks like a bargain. </p>
<p>Similarly, Crystal Palace spent £30m in the January 2017 window after <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/dec/23/sam-allardyce-replaces-alan-pardew-as-crystal-palace-manager">appointing Sam Allardyce</a> as their new manager shortly beforehand. He led them from 17th position to 14th by the end of the season. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201343/original/file-20180109-36031-zhw1k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201343/original/file-20180109-36031-zhw1k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201343/original/file-20180109-36031-zhw1k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201343/original/file-20180109-36031-zhw1k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201343/original/file-20180109-36031-zhw1k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201343/original/file-20180109-36031-zhw1k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201343/original/file-20180109-36031-zhw1k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201343/original/file-20180109-36031-zhw1k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Total winter spend in 16/17 by club and places gained.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author Data</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>That said, it is not so easy as spending money to survive. Sunderland and Middlesbrough spent around £24m between them in January 2017 and still got relegated, but then neither club changed its manager in sufficient time for it to take effect. Sunderland themselves gambled a year earlier, spending £25m in the winter window of 2016 and stayed up. But the club couldn’t repeat this trick with David Moyes at the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/apr/29/sunderland-relegation-worst-day-in-football-david-moyes">helm last season</a>. </p>
<p>Yet crunching the numbers doesn’t show any real pattern. For some clubs spending works, and for others it doesn’t. What is clear is that, more often than not, increased spending in the transfer window coincides with a new manager at the helm, suggesting that sometimes a shake up of more than one element of the club is needed. Plus, many fans will argue, it is better to do something rather than nothing and just accepting your fate. </p>
<h2>Life is tough at the top</h2>
<p>With Manchester City seemingly a shoe in for the the league title, we have paid little attention to the top of the league. They remain fairly active, however, at this time of year. There has been a lot of <a href="https://twitter.com/MrTomMcDermott/status/950081750906163200">discussion</a> over the future of Manchester United’s manager and the club’s need to spend in the winter window – not to have any bearing on this year’s title race, but to bed in new players early enough to hit the ground running next season. </p>
<p>This seems a logical approach. A new manager often takes time to embed their methods and to develop a squad they deem appropriate to win football matches in their style. After all, Pep Guardiola guided City to 3rd in his first season in charge, before spending £221.5m in the <a href="http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/man-city-2215m-milan-1784m-the-20-highest-spending-clubs/za2d0l2qvyp61nujjg35s2c0v">summer window in 2017</a>. Now they are 12 points clear at the top of the table. </p>
<p>The winter window throws many clubs into a tail spin with fans and commentators piling on the pressure to spend. There is no perfect formula, though, and clubs need to consider their options carefully. </p>
<p>It’s not a simple case of spending big and hoping for the best and, while we <a href="https://theconversation.com/prepare-for-a-record-breaking-premier-league-transfer-window-70631">predict another record breaking window</a>, there seems a greater need to make decisions that are planned strategically to maximise their return. Knee jerk purchases should be kept to a minimum, just like that outfit that is reduced by 70% but will never be worn.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>More evidence-based articles about football:</em></p>
<ul>
<li><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-ai-could-help-football-managers-spot-weak-links-in-their-teams-90276?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=WorldCup2018">How AI could help football managers spot weak links in their teams</a></em></p></li>
<li><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/the-mohamed-salah-effect-is-real-my-research-shows-how-he-inspires-egyptian-youth-97220?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=WorldCup2018">The ‘Mohamed Salah Effect’ is real – my research shows how he inspires Egyptian youth</a></em></p></li>
<li><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-keep-footballers-fit-and-fuelled-for-a-world-cup-97803?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=WorldCup2018">How to keep footballers fit and fuelled for major tournaments</a></em></p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/89184/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The combination of changing your manager early enough and forking out on transfers could be the difference between relegation and Premier League survival.Rob Wilson, Principal Lecturer in Sport Finance, Sheffield Hallam UniversityDan Plumley, Senior Lecturer in Sport Business Management, Sheffield Hallam UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/883402017-11-30T13:01:43Z2017-11-30T13:01:43ZBrand Russia faces an uphill struggle to repair its image ahead of World Cup 2018<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197113/original/file-20171130-30919-rbiy0w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Will the World Cup give Brand Russia a boost?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As Russia gears up to host the 2018 football World Cup, the country’s officials will be hoping that excitement about one of the world’s biggest sporting events generates some goodwill for the country. Because, right now, Brand Russia has an image problem.</p>
<p>While soaring temperatures in host cities like Kazan and Volgograd seem inevitable next June, the frostiness surrounding Russia’s first hosting of football’s top competition seems unlikely to go away any time soon. This has been a World Cup <a href="https://sports.vice.com/en_ca/article/3kzxzv/what-we-know-about-corruption-in-the-2018-and-2022-world-cup-bids">mired in controversy</a> since the country’s name came out of the hat in 2010, at the end of a hugely controversial bidding process.</p>
<p>Qatar has borne the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40412928">brunt of concerns</a> about FIFA’s highly unusual decision to award World Cup hosting rights to two nations at the same time (for 2018 and 2022). Yet Russia is also seen by many as being culpable for alleged misdemeanours during <a href="https://sports.vice.com/en_ca/article/3kzxzv/what-we-know-about-corruption-in-the-2018-and-2022-world-cup-bids">the bidding process</a>, despite being cleared of wrongdoing <a href="http://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/footballgovernance/02/89/88/06/rus_report_neutral.pdf">by FIFA’s investigation</a> into the matter. </p>
<h2>Litany of bad press</h2>
<p>But this has done little to fix the country’s image. Its last experience of hosting a major tournament, the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi, attracted <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/02/why-did-sochi-olympics-draw-so-2014221101422651375.html">widespread</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/sochi-scandals-threaten-a-russian-sporting-renaissance-18777">criticism</a> for its financial excesses, as well as for the country’s handling of LGBTQ+ rights.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197142/original/file-20171130-30907-12hl869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/197142/original/file-20171130-30907-12hl869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197142/original/file-20171130-30907-12hl869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197142/original/file-20171130-30907-12hl869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197142/original/file-20171130-30907-12hl869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1135&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197142/original/file-20171130-30907-12hl869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1135&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/197142/original/file-20171130-30907-12hl869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1135&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Russia has been criticised for introducing homophobic laws.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/idarrenj/12586959693/in/photolist-kbgsAr-fcnGwj-9y46yn-bWxMk8-UFZaKH-RuxmrQ-ahZRdG-ismnU2-SMzrmv-bWxyTn-r8T6cD-bWxLH4-cdV4Gq-bWxxme-d1TE27-7EEVq1-p5SAhu-bWxLD8-ReJY2Z-eCvhU-Tsoj8Z-bWxwoD-9fC6DH-bWxLNv-bWxLTg-bAiC5u-5cP9v3-bWxNEa-bWxyMn-n4JZt1-efQ21E-aTfF1K-cdUUwd-bWxz1B-5HXEAN-cdUZb7-kD3HXH-bWQ4aU-n4HyJH-cdUSPC-bPdeUn-ahZDsD-bWxz8H-TeEyk5-bWxw5R-bEQNXU-cdUS8f-bWQ1Ru-bWPXhL-E5mRwG">iDJ Photography / flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>More controversially, an investigation commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found Russia guilty of a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/38261608">state-sponsored doping</a> programme between 2011 and 2015. Almost 650 positive drugs tests were recorded among several Russian athletes.</p>
<p>As a result, the sport’s global governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations, suspended Russia indefinitely from world track and field events. This meant that fewer than 280 athletes were cleared to compete in last year’s summer Olympic Games in Brazil. Official Russian squads would normally take upwards of 400 to the event.</p>
<p>Following this, Russia has been the source of <a href="https://www.wada-ama.org/en/media/news/2016-09/wada-confirms-attack-by-russian-cyber-espionage-group">numerous cyber attacks on WADA</a>. A group calling itself Fancy Bears or Tsar Team (APT28) has released the medical records of numerous athletes, including US gymnast Simone Biles and British cyclist Bradley Wiggins. The Russian government denies involvement, but it doesn’t look good. Especially alongside the claims and counter-claims that continue to swirl about Moscow’s interference in the domestic politics of numerous countries, the US and Britain included.</p>
<p>Another stain on the Russian sporting establishment is the reputation of its fans. Events at the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament in France saw incidents of hooliganism – which many believed to be the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jun/12/russian-hooligans-savage-organised-england-fans-marseille-euro-2016">worst ever seen</a>, with some claiming these were <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jun/18/whitehall-suspects-kremlin-links-to-russian-euro-2016-hooligans-vladimir-putin">orchestrated by the Russian state</a>.</p>
<p>So Russia’s stock in some parts of the world could hardly be lower at this point. Financial Times journalist Simon Kuper has gone so far as <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/3a8ae2e8-cf0c-11e7-b781-794ce08b24dc">to suggest</a> that, as far as the World Cup is concerned, the game is effectively already over for Russia before it has even begun. People are deeply suspicious about the country and its motives for staging the tournament. And they are likely to be sceptical about the messaging coming out of Moscow over the next year.</p>
<p>This is not the stuff of which successful nation brands are built.</p>
<p>More promisingly for Russia, Gideon Rachman <a href="http://www.theworldin.com/article/14401/edition2018political-football">suggests in The Economist</a> that the World Cup will be an opportunity for the country to present a more positive view of itself. As Rachman notes, “Russia is far more tightly controlled than Brazil [where the last World Cup was held]. The Russian government will hope foreigners will look beyond the political controversies and enjoy the country’s rich culture.”</p>
<h2>Soft power stutter</h2>
<p>Sporting events such as the World Cup are normally an opportunity for countries to project a positive image of themselves. Indeed, it is now common to refer to <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-856X.12017/abstract">the soft power influence of sporting events</a>. Soft power entails a nation accentuating its attractiveness through cultural means. </p>
<p>Russia has already been playing a game of attraction, with its staging of last summer’s <a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/405693-ticket-applications-world-cup-russia/">FIFA Confederations Cup</a>, its upbeat messages about <a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/409866-russia-2018-world-cup-tickets/">healthy World Cup ticket sales</a>, and strong reassurances about the <a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/football/fifa-world-cup-2018-vladimir-putin-takes-the-fight-to-russian-hooligans/story-4LnP8Qx9gKLhwB1rQ8Ro9I.html">threat of hooliganism</a>. It has even played the politics of attraction by hiring former England international Stan Collymore to host a weekly football show on state broadcaster RT. Who could have guessed that Stan – a mid-weight football pundit, known as much for his gaffes as for his incisive commentary – would become an instrument of Russian soft power? </p>
<p>Just how the World Cup’s local organising committee, Putin and the country’s state apparatus will continue trying to convince the world of their attractiveness remains to be seen. Of course, Russia is a beautiful country, with an amazing history and often hospitable citizens. But, in marketing parlance, consumers may ultimately still encounter <a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html">cognitive dissonance</a>, if they think that what they were promised and what they receive are two different things. </p>
<p>In other words, whatever it is that Brand Russia is offering, then it must deliver on these brand promises … and fast. Otherwise, the permafrost of the world’s perceptions about the country may remain so thick that they fail to thaw in time for next year’s tournament. This would not only undermine the World Cup, but reinforce popular perceptions that Brand Russia remains villainous, not virtuous.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88340/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Chadwick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Russian officials will be hoping that excitement about one of the world’s biggest sporting events generates some goodwill for the country.Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sports Enterprise, University of SalfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/872232017-11-27T11:47:28Z2017-11-27T11:47:28ZHow to crack down on the scourge of ticket touting<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196311/original/file-20171124-21838-15qodht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Whether it is the music industry, sports matches or theatre productions, the scourge of ticket touts is a massive issue. The experience of tickets selling out in a matter of seconds, only to appear at marked up prices on other websites or outside events is an experience that is all too familiar.</p>
<p>Recent research published by <a href="http://fanfairalliance.org/">FanFair Alliance</a>, a campaign group that promotes a transparent and properly functioning ticket market, has highlighted the growing dissatisfaction with ticket touting. Out of more than 1,100 people surveyed, nearly three quarters thought touting was a major concern for music fans, 65% said it would result in them attending fewer gigs, 58% that they would spend less on food and drink at events, and 47% that they would spend less on recorded music as a result.</p>
<p>The survey also identified three forms of confusion at the heart of the ticketing market: the blurring of the distinction between the primary and secondary market; an inability to determine who was the official ticket agent; and the failure of secondary platforms to provide the identity of a reseller. </p>
<p>In particular, 44% of people in the survey said they were unaware of the difference between primary and secondary sellers. This is exacerbated by Ticketmaster, the world’s largest primary ticket agent, owning two of the big four secondary platforms, GetMeIn and Seatwave, all of which have Live Nation as their parent company. The other two major players are Stubhub and Viagogo.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196313/original/file-20171124-21795-1495e5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196313/original/file-20171124-21795-1495e5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196313/original/file-20171124-21795-1495e5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196313/original/file-20171124-21795-1495e5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196313/original/file-20171124-21795-1495e5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196313/original/file-20171124-21795-1495e5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196313/original/file-20171124-21795-1495e5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196313/original/file-20171124-21795-1495e5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Touting is unfair to artists and fans.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sfslim/15010623166/in/photolist-dMg6mC-6nkkba-ncHN4J-gY5mkb-oSrniG-5n1H3r-pKPCp-p434nL-847cor-a9cFL8-6WT5Mj">Aaron Muszalski</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The UK position</h2>
<p>Attitudes towards touting in the UK are ambivalent. At one end of the spectrum are upholders of free market ideals who consider “secondary ticketing merchants” to be entrepreneurial, such as Conservative minister <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/04/09/sajid-javid-culture-secretary-ticket-touts_n_5117258.html">Sajid Javid</a>. Others – including many artists – are a lot more critical. The comedian <a href="http://www.stewartlee.co.uk/written-for-money/secondary-ticketing-might-be-legal-but-that-doesnt-make-it-morally-right/">Stewart Lee</a>, for example, has expressed his dismay at the practice and questioned its morality.</p>
<p>Currently, it is only criminal to tout tickets for <a href="http://www.urban75.org/football/after4.html">professional football</a> games, which is justified on public order grounds. Ticket touting at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games <a href="https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/707/">was also criminalised</a>, but on the basis that the image of these events needed protecting. These legislative anomalies aside, it is ten years since the government’s <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmcumeds/202/202.pdf">Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee</a> conducted its initial investigation into “the murky world of ticket touting”. Little since then has changed.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196314/original/file-20171124-21811-1em1b96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196314/original/file-20171124-21811-1em1b96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196314/original/file-20171124-21811-1em1b96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196314/original/file-20171124-21811-1em1b96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196314/original/file-20171124-21811-1em1b96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196314/original/file-20171124-21811-1em1b96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196314/original/file-20171124-21811-1em1b96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It is only criminal to tout tickets for professional football games.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pittaya/5808948007/in/photolist-9RjnRZ-6zk2st-67iAG8-2rdDVK-c1HcJw-bXm6N9-nFsGHU-dMg6mC-qsuzwS-7RnYRN-8T8nyz-88vnKt-bZ3LZN-c3dpvY-8YPRn4-c3d9jL-c1HiwA-c2bhqf-c1FKim-c4dg2C-c2aZ93-c3deNd-2xNjsZ-c3djtW-c2bb5q-WfcVG3-4xPRjR-c3d3ZY-bZzXe3-c2b8LS-7JLJNF-c2b3wu-m8XykT-c4dfyC-53r5Qr-ftc1vd-7JMCBg-Zs9isH-q7wf5a-pUHBv1-9ScXcX-pZ6j8h-h9zRG9-c1Gufh-yHTWju-4BEYoF-bLEJMr-e6iD1D-bZ4oX9-efXV67">pittaya/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The independent <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/independent-secondary-ticketing-review-published-today">Waterson Report</a> of 2016, which was commissioned by the government, recommended that the use of ticket bots be criminalised. But this has <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/30/section/106/enacted">not yet happened</a>. Its recommendation that more information about the tickets being sold should be published on secondary platforms is now in the <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/90/enacted">Consumer Rights Act 2015</a>. This requires touts to publish the ticket’s original face value and any relevant restrictions, such as a ban on resales, and enough information about the ticket so that the purchaser can identify the specific seat or standing area for which it is valid. </p>
<p>But despite a further <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/culture-media-and-sport-committee/inquiries/parliament-2015/inquiry1/">consultation</a>, the government continues to favour self-regulation over direct intervention, notwithstanding attempts by some MPs <a href="http://www.sharonhodgson.org/_putfans1st_campaign">such as Sharon Hodgson</a> to criminalise the activity.</p>
<h2>The need to regulate</h2>
<p>It is clear that self-regulation has failed and that this <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/oct/30/touts-threat-to-uks-45bn-music-industry-survey-reveals">£1 billion industry</a> is riddled with conflicts of interest. Its detrimental impact on all those affected by touting now has a much clearer evidence base. Touting is not about clever entrepreneurs, but big businesses draining money from the entire industry. </p>
<p>Instead of tinkering around the edges, by promising to regulate the use of bots or limiting the amount for which a ticket can be resold, direct regulation of the secondary market is needed. First, the business links between primary and secondary platforms need to be addressed. It is not in Live Nation/Ticketmaster’s economic interest to prevent sales on GetMeIn and Seatwave. Second, criminalising resales above the combined amount of face value and associated fees should be considered. </p>
<p>Regulation alone is not the answer. Fans need to be educated about the <a href="http://fanfairalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/30-FFA-Guide-final.pdf">problems</a> associated with engaging with the secondary market. In particular, there is a need to address the misconception that it is not illegal to resell tickets to sports and entertainment events. </p>
<p>In the vast majority of cases, it is at least a breach of contract to resell event tickets without the authorisation of the event organiser, and to breach the terms of a contract is unlawful. The knock-on effect of such a breach is that the ticket is invalidated and the right to attend the event revoked. </p>
<p>The Rugby Football Union succeeded in forcing Viagogo to release information about touts so that it could pursue breach of contract claims against them <a href="https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/uksc-2012-0030.html">and trespass claims against the purchasers of touted tickets</a>. It is this ability to enforce the ticket’s terms and conditions that has encouraged performers from <a href="https://help.ticketmaster.co.uk/ed-sheeran-uk-tour-2018-info/">Ed Sheeran</a> to <a href="https://ironmaiden.com/fan-club/tickets">Iron Maiden</a> to require additional ID to ensure that only the original ticket purchaser and their group can attend events. </p>
<p>This approach needs the buy-in of venues, however. At a recent Metallica concert, fans with touted tickets were <a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/metallicas-tour-promoters-force-venues-11422194">allowed in against the express wishes of the band</a>. Live Nation, the tour promoter and ultimate owner of GetMeIn and Seatwave, forced the venue to honour the touted tickets.</p>
<p>In the FanFair survey, 80% of the sample felt the big four secondary ticket platforms were ripping fans off. Face value resales to other fans are seen as acceptable, but profiting from secondary ticket sales, particularly on an industrial scale, is not. The growing discontent against touting has resulted in <a href="http://fanfairalliance.org/google-launches-global-certification-ticket-resellers/">Google</a> announcing that from January 2018, event ticket resellers will need to be certified before they can advertise through its service AdWords.</p>
<p>The ticketing industry as a whole needs overhauling, not just the problem of ticket touting. Excessive booking fees and how the market responds to technological advances, particularly the use of paperless tickets and the potential of new technology like blockchain must also be considered. Only a coherent approach to the market as a whole will help provide a solution to this perennial problem.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87223/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Ticket touting is bad for fans and it’s bad for the industry, but should reselling tickets be a criminal offence?Mark James, Professor of Sports Law, Manchester Metropolitan UniversityGuy Osborn, Professor of Law, University of WestminsterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/850162017-10-02T16:47:15Z2017-10-02T16:47:15ZFC Barcelona and the Catalan struggle for independence<p>FC Barcelona’s motto “mes que un club” or “more than a club” is emblazoned across the team’s website, splashed across the seats of its Nou Camp stadium and embroidered on the collars of first-team shirts. </p>
<p>The slogan dates back to the Catalan club’s formation in 1899, when a Swiss émigré founded what is now commonly referred to as “Barca”. Hans Max Gamper-Haessig, who was enthralled by Catalonia and would later change his name to Joan Gamper, established Barca as a membership club. Even today, these members pay an annual fee to become part of what many see as one of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2006/may/17/championsleague.europeanfootball">world football’s best governed clubs</a>.</p>
<p>From the outset, Barcelona has been a focal point for Catalan identity, as well as a symbol of democracy. So much so that in 1925 then Spanish prime minister, Primo de Rivera, <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SVbyAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14&dq=Primo+de+Rivera+gamper+barcelona+nationalism&source=bl&ots=SMJT26CZUd&sig=fwuZWrlBEQKaH5zURv54gXFgb5g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj4lcq0j9LWAhWCWRoKHTfKDXwQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=Primo%20de%20Rivera%20gamper%20barcelona%20nationalism&f=false">accused Gamper and Barca of promoting Catalan nationalism</a>. Later, during the Spanish Civil War, Nou Camp would become one of few places in the city where people could openly speak in Catalan. </p>
<p>It is therefore unsurprising that in recent weeks FC Barcelona has become central to the region’s independence vote. On Sunday, <a href="https://theconversation.com/spanish-government-crushes-catalan-independence-dreams-at-a-high-price-85014">the day of the vote</a> – which was declared illegal by Spain’s central government – Barca called for its league match against Las Palmas <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/4587173/barcelona-board-emergency-meeting-las-palmas-catalan-independence/">to be postponed</a>, as violence spread across the city. When its request was denied, the club issued a last minute statement that condemned the attempts to stop citizens voting and said that the game would go ahead, but behind closed doors. </p>
<p>This match was, though, laden with meaning. Some criticised the club for <a href="https://qz.com/1091536/barcelona-fc-played-in-an-empty-stadium-as-the-unrest-over-the-catalonia-independence-vote-continued-outside/">selling out to television companies</a>, putting money from broadcasting contracts ahead of political principles. Others observed that pressure has been placed on Barca by La Liga president Javier Tebas, a lifelong Real Madrid fan. He also gave permission for the Las Palmas team to play with a special Spanish flag (intended to symbolise Spanish unity) woven into their shirts.</p>
<p>One of the players on the field during the game was Barca’s talismanic defender, Gerard Piqué, who has publicly professed his support for the Catalonia independence vote. Piqué, recently booed by other Spanish fans, has <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41460584">even offered to quit</a> playing for the country’s national team.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"914433491747659776"}"></div></p>
<h2>Commercial concerns</h2>
<p>FC Barcelona is clearly, then, much more than a club. It is a complicated and highly politicised entity in a way the likes of Manchester United or Arsenal have never been. But herein lies an important challenge, which probably serves as a metaphor too for the many other challenges facing Catalonia – how to successfully navigate the future post-independence.</p>
<p>Top-level professional football is no longer just a local game for local people. It is a mass-market product traded by businesses for a commercial return. And Barca is no exception. A shirt sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways <a href="https://theconversation.com/warning-for-fifa-in-barcelona-as-fans-bid-to-end-qatar-sponsorship-44742">drew condemnation from fans</a> for moving the club in a more commercial direction. Some cynics have even referred to Barca’s <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/03/08/madridification-barcelona-barca-went-mes-que-un-club-just-another/">“Madridification”</a>.</p>
<p>In this context, recent events pose significant challenges for Barca’s business dealings. For example, in the middle of Sunday’s events, the club issued a public statement asserting that it supported the right to Catalonian self-determination and condemned any act by the Spanish state that might impede its people’s democratic right to vote in the referendum.</p>
<p>As a philosophy – and as a brand proposition – this is both noble and distinctive. But for a club that has been casting covetous eyes at Asian markets, it could prove troublesome. The last thing the Qataris or Chinese will want is for fans and businesses in their countries to be building a relationship with a club that advocates separatism and a disregard for central government authority.</p>
<p>It will therefore be worthwhile keeping a close eye on messages coming out of Doha, Beijing and elsewhere in Asia. That said, given Catalan diasporas in Latin America – those that fled the region during the Spanish civil war – at least part of the club’s overseas commercial strategy targeting fans looks set to remain in tact.</p>
<p>Speculation abounds as to what secession would mean for Barca, whether it could stay in Spain’s top flight (Tebas <a href="http://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2017/09/29/59ce8888ca47410f2a8b465c.html">has said</a> the club will not be allowed to remain in the league in the event of secession), and whether it would lose its UEFA membership and right to play Champions League football.</p>
<p>Some have even suggested that Barca could <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/fc-barcelona-premier-league-la-liga-catalunya-catalan-independence-vote-ballot-a7975266.html">join England’s Premier League</a>. Commercially, this might seem like a marriage made in heaven. But it is extremely unlikely to happen, not least because of the potential complexities of such a move. The other alternative – a small Catalonia league <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41346846">with the likes of local rivals Espanyol, Girona and Tarragona</a> – is hard to imagine and would struggle to generate sizeable revenues. </p>
<p>Such a debate may sound premature. But it’s indicative of how the club has to consider its commercial, as well as political priorities. Gamper was right, FC Barcelona is more than a club. But football in 1899 was a rather different proposition to football in the 21st century. The power of Catalan politics might be compelling, but in football the lure of global revenue streams may yet trump regional idealism.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/85016/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Chadwick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The football club has long been central to Catalan identity and is central to the region’s independence vote.Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sports Enterprise, University of SalfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/827912017-08-22T12:44:27Z2017-08-22T12:44:27ZMayweather-McGregor fight pits boxing against UFC in a battle of the brands<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182835/original/file-20170821-4981-15qwa77.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Who will win?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Las Vegas is soon to host one of the most lucrative boxing matches of all time. Dubbed “The Money Fight” it features UFC (which stands for the Ultimate Fighting Championship) star Connor Mcgregor making his boxing debut against undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather. What is not in doubt is that both men will leave the bout much wealthier than they go into it – both expected to earn <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/boxing/la-sp-mcgregor-rise-20170820-story.html">in excess of US$100m for their participation</a>. With US$90m worth of tickets for sale and US$500m of pay-per-view revenue expected to be made, it’s set to be boxing’s most lucrative match ever.</p>
<p>But, despite these figures, it is worth wondering which of the two combat sports represented in this event will come out in better shape. Or whether the much promoted encounter represents a zero sum game for the two sports, in which the gain of one will be at the cost of the other.</p>
<p>UFC has presented mixed martial arts (MMA) to the world for around three decades. In that time it has gone from being accused of being mere <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertszczerba/2014/04/03/mixed-martial-arts-and-the-evolution-of-john-mccain/#497ee0a02d59">“human cock fighting”</a> to becoming a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-rise-and-rise-of-ultimate-fighting-and-why-boxing-is-now-so-passe-55910">popular, if still controversial, sport</a>. It fills arenas around the world and was valued at <a href="http://fortune.com/2016/07/11/ufc-sold-ultimate-fighting-championship/">close to US$4 billion in 2016</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182838/original/file-20170821-4981-3ukbsq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182838/original/file-20170821-4981-3ukbsq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182838/original/file-20170821-4981-3ukbsq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182838/original/file-20170821-4981-3ukbsq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182838/original/file-20170821-4981-3ukbsq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182838/original/file-20170821-4981-3ukbsq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182838/original/file-20170821-4981-3ukbsq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">UFC draws increasingly big crowds.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/adrianpua/4782929636">adrianpua/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The sport’s popularity is largely predicated on the star appeal of a small number of charismatic competitors, including <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/the-penultimate-fighter/480732/">Conor “The Notorious” McGregor</a>. Claims that its fighters are tougher than other athletes is also a big part of UFC’s brand. A heavy defeat for McGregor in Las Vegas might therefore do significant damage to the UFC brand, especially if a humbled McGregor is then able to make a successful return to his former hunting ground.</p>
<p>The decision to allow the UFC’s top star to compete in a high profile bout with the world’s best boxer is potentially damaging to both Mcgregor’s reputation and the branding of the overall sport that he is associated with. But at least McGregor will be rewarded handsomely whether he wins or loses the fight.</p>
<h2>Worse for boxing</h2>
<p>While MMA has been on an upward trajectory, boxing’s financial future has become less clear. Some recent matches, such as Anthony Joshua’s victory over Wladimir Klitschko in April 2017 and Mayweather’s victory over Manny Pacquiao in May 2015 have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/may/12/mayweather-pacquiao-shatters-ppv-marks-with-44m-buys-400m-revenue">raked in the cash</a>, and attracted large crowds. But there is a more deep-rooted feeling that the boxing <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/may/12/mayweather-pacquiao-is-over-and-boxing-is-dead-again">business is in decline</a>.</p>
<p>It is telling that a new eight-man tournament dubbed the World Boxing Super Series <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/world-boxing-super-series-like-a-gladiatorial-dating-game-kalle-sauerland-next-manny-pacquiao-2017-8">has been launched</a>, created by one of combat sports’ most powerful promoters and will offer combatants a share of US$50m. It’s clearly the hope that it will bring in some big names, as well as big money through ticket sales and sponsorship.</p>
<p>In some part, the decline in popularity of boxing may be due to the increased popularity of UFC, and associated MMA events. They are fighting for the same market share. The McGregor-Mayweather match therefore has the potential to reinvigorate boxing, especially if a boxer like Mayweather, who is at the end of his career, is able to publicly humble a current UFC star in front of such a big audience.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182958/original/file-20170822-30552-sfv7eo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182958/original/file-20170822-30552-sfv7eo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182958/original/file-20170822-30552-sfv7eo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182958/original/file-20170822-30552-sfv7eo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182958/original/file-20170822-30552-sfv7eo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182958/original/file-20170822-30552-sfv7eo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182958/original/file-20170822-30552-sfv7eo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Conor McGregor is a poster boy for UFC.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UFC_189_World_Tour_Aldo_vs._McGregor_London_2015_(18776759002).jpg">Andrius Petrucenia / Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ultimately, though, the odds are against boxing. McGregor might not need to even win the superfight in order to do further damage to the sport’s lustre. McGregor is fighting on Mayweather’s turf. If he puts in a creditable performance (for example by lasting the full 12 rounds of the fight or by offering some credible offence before succumbing), then even this could constitute a small victory for McGregor and UFC. </p>
<p>Mayweather has often been portrayed as the best pound for pound boxer <a href="http://www.espn.co.uk/boxing/story/_/id/14970037/ranking-top-25-pound-pound-boxers-25-years">of all time</a>, and if he is unable to deal with a rowdy upstart from a rival sport in a quick and conclusive manner it may add further credibility to the rise of UFC as a rival to boxing. It is therefore likely that representatives from both corners, invested in the bout emotionally and financially, will attempt to claim a moral victory after the fact.</p>
<h2>Could it be a win-win?</h2>
<p>An alternative way of thinking about the match-up between the two men is that it is an opportunity to attract new fans to both of the two sports. There’s a chance for cross-promotion. If this is the case then the pre-fight publicity may have turned off as many new fans as it has attracted, with accusations of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jul/15/mayweather-accuses-mcgregor-of-racism-and-uses-homophobic-slur">racism and homophobia</a> so far dominating the fight’s press. While it may be possible that some new fans will be attracted to the spectacle of the two men squaring off, it is unclear whether such fans are likely to become die hard followers of either sport, meaning the most significant impact will be on how perceptions of the two sports are affected.</p>
<p>Some things are certain about the upcoming bout: further insults will be thrown and further exaggerations of earnings will be proposed. But it remains difficult to see who will be the true winner from the collision, and it may take several years before the full impact of the result is truly felt in the two competing businesses. Nonetheless, the encounter will surely be felt beyond the bank accounts of the two fighters, and will affect the future health of the their respective sports.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/82791/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert O'Neill does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Millions of dollars will be made by both sides from the fight but does boxing have more to lose than UFC in this big money head-to-head?Robert O'Neill, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Strategy, Marketing and Economics, University of HuddersfieldLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/817222017-08-11T10:59:16Z2017-08-11T10:59:16ZThe English Premier League is experiencing a textbook case of hyperinflation<p>The big summer transfer headline belongs to Neymar and his record-breaking £198m move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain. But, by anyone’s standards, the spending across English Premier League football clubs has been similarly jaw-dropping. With £40m fees now commonplace, last year’s <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37209664">record-breaking spend</a> of £1.165 billion is almost certain to be <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/sports-business-group/articles/annual-review-of-football-finance.html">smashed again</a> before the transfer window closes on August 31. </p>
<p>This season marks 25 years since the Premier League began and transfer fees have risen exponentially <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/premier_league_25_1992_1997">over the past quarter century</a>. But it’s not the fees themselves that are being met with a growing sense of incredulity. Rather, it is the frequency in which vast amounts are being spent on players that are not established stars. </p>
<p>Manchester United’s big summer signing in 1992 was striker Dion Dublin for £1m (the equivalent of nearly £2m in today’s money). This summer has seen the likes of defender Kyle Walker go to <a href="http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/10948654/man-city-confirm-50m-signing-of-kyle-walker-from-tottenham">Manchester City for £50m</a> and Real Madrid benchwarmer <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/alvaro-morata-signs-chelsea-transfer-latest-move-done-deal-real-madrid-a7854081.html">Alvaro Morata</a> go to Chelsea for £58m. Still, the extravagance of England’s top clubs, although shocking, should not come as much of a surprise. Nor should we expect it to last forever.</p>
<h2>‘Demand-pull inflation’</h2>
<p>It has been <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/premier-league-summer-transfer-window-record-spending-net-spend-romelu-lukaku-paul-pogba-a7853226.html">widely reported</a> that the football industry is experiencing an acute form of hyper-inflation. Specifically, we are seeing a classic case of what economists call “<a href="https://www.intelligenteconomist.com/demand-pull-inflation/">demand-pull inflation</a>”. This is when there is an increase in the supply of money (demand) while the supply of goods stays constant or depreciates. This is precisely what is happening in English football – the increase in available transfer funds has not been matched by a growth in the number of world-class players and prices have rocketed.</p>
<p>An alternative example of this is when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperinflation_in_Zimbabwe">Mugabe’s government</a> in Zimbabwe started printing its own currency to fund war efforts and pay its debts. A <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/zimbabwes-10-million-bread-84167">loaf of bread</a> would ultimately cost 10m Zimbabwean dollars. Although it would be disingenuous to compare the football industry to Mugabe’s regime (or Kyle Walker to a loaf of bread), the end result in these two situations is not too dissimilar – highly inflated prices.</p>
<p>Price inflation has become more severe in recent years, but it is not new in football. Total spending by Premier League clubs has increased by <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37231990">approximately £1 billion</a> since the 2006-07 season and has grown continuously since 2011-12. When, then, can this relentless trend be expected to stop?</p>
<p>In short: it will stop when the money supply dries up. The hyperinflation of the football transfer market is a direct result of the landmark <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31379128">£5.1 billion broadcasting deal</a> struck with Sky and BT Sports. Since coming into effect in 2016, the deal delivers unprecedented levels of income to English Premier League clubs. The deal will cease in 2019 and that is likely to be when spending falls – or at least stabilises.</p>
<h2>There may be trouble ahead</h2>
<p>Financial analysis experts Vysyble recently highlighted concerns over the <a href="http://vysyble.com/blog">economic performance</a> of Sky, the chief financier of the Premier League. It reported that despite a £6.1 billion growth in revenue since 2012, losses have risen by £945m in the same period. The broadcasting giant’s economic losses stand at £208m for the past 12 months alone.</p>
<p>Couple this with a <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/45e8a3e8-4d1e-11e7-a3f4-c742b9791d43">14% drop in viewing figures</a> on Sky’s live channels across the 2016-17 season and this makes for uncomfortable news for Premier League bosses. At this rate, it is inconceivable that Sky will be willing to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/31357409">pay £4.176bn</a> again for the privilege of hosting Premier League matches and a reduction in the money supply seems inevitable. This will mean a curtailment of available transfer funds and the fees payed for players should naturally stagnate.</p>
<p>Until then, Premier League clubs will continue to spend record sums of money for all levels of players because they can – and the market dictates that they must. Meanwhile, clubs on the continent are taking advantage of the supply and demand principle and are refusing to sell for anything less than a king’s ransom. Take, for instance, RB Leipzig playing hardball over <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jul/19/liverpool-naby-keita-bid-rb-leipzig-rules-out-sale-jurgen-klopp">Liverpool’s £66m bid</a> for the relatively unknown Naby Keita.</p>
<p>The Premier League, however, is not exclusively an importer’s market. As more players arrive this summer, many others will look to go in the opposite direction. When they do, it is important for English clubs to recoup as much of the money they have spent as possible. The so-called “<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/premier-league-transfer-news-la-liga-bundesliga-more-money-more-problems-a7837981.html">Premier League premium</a>” English clubs are paying can go both ways – and there is no reason why they should not hold out for similarly huge fees. Leicester City’s <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4725234/Leicester-demand-50m-Roma-target-Riyad-Mahrez.html">rejection of Roma’s initial £30m bid</a> and demand of £50m for midfielder Riyad Mahrez is a good example of how to do this. </p>
<p>The transfer madness may well come to an end in 2019 but we can expect it to get worse before it gets better. The hyper-competitive nature of the football business encourages profligacy and, for as long as clubs have the capacity to spend colossal sums, they will. The first £100m transfer by an English club should certainly not be far away.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81722/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Josh McLeod does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Summer spending across English Premier League football clubs has been jaw-dropping.Josh McLeod, PhD Candidate in Corporate Governance, Heriot-Watt UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/819822017-08-03T15:51:57Z2017-08-03T15:51:57ZCould Neymar’s record transfer to PSG be stopped by Financial Fair Play regulations?<p>The Neymar transfer saga <a href="https://theconversation.com/qatar-psg-and-the-real-reason-neymar-could-sell-for-a-record-198m-81859">rumbles on</a>. After weeks of rumours that he might move to French club Paris Saint-Germain, the Brazilian forward has now confirmed the news and told his current club, FC Barcelona, that he wants to leave. The club’s response? PSG must pay a record €222m transfer fee in full if they want him. </p>
<p>Much attention has been paid to the fact that this would make Neymar the most expensive footballer ever – by quite some margin. But PSG’s ability to pay this money also comes with an additional predicament: Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. Indeed, La Liga, Spanish football’s governing body, has <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/836236/Transfer-News-LIVE-updates-Neymar-PSG-Man-Utd-Arsenal-Chelsea-Liverpool-latest">said</a> it would not accept the payment from PSG to trigger Neymar’s release clause. The reason: “We have doubts that this money is in accordance with UEFA Financial Fair Play rules.”</p>
<p>These are regulations that were introduced by UEFA, European football’s governing body, that require clubs’ spending to match their earnings. They stipulate that clubs should avoid accumulating debts, by limiting the difference between their revenue and expense to a net loss that is currently set at €5m. So that’s a lot of money to make up when you consider the fact that Neymar is estimated to cost PSG <a href="http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12691/10971192/neymar-agrees-five-year-paris-saint-germain-deal-ahead-of-world-record-450m-transfer-from-barcelona">close to €500m</a> when you include his wages, bonuses, and other expenses, as well as the €222m release clause. </p>
<p>The FFP rules were introduced in 2011 in response to growing concerns regarding European club football’s overall financial health. Despite ever increasing revenues, many clubs were also exponentially accumulating debt. The losses among <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/sports-business-group/uk-deloitte-sport-football-money-league-2016.pdf">Europe’s top division clubs</a> had in fact increased by 760% over the five-year period leading up to the introduction of FFP (2006-2011), with more than half of them reporting losses in 2011. </p>
<h2>Ways around the rules?</h2>
<p>Interestingly, PSG has been in breach of the FFP regulations before, in 2014. The club was <a href="http://www.espn.co.uk/football/news/story/_/id/1811094/psg-set-quadruple-financial-fair-play-sanctions-uefa">sanctioned</a> by UEFA for spending around €100m more than they earned. It was banned from increasing its salaries and had limits placed on its transfer spending in the next window. It was also given a €60m fine spread over three seasons and limited to naming a 21-man squad in its Champions League campaign instead of the usual 25. </p>
<p>It is worth noting that there are ways around the FFP regulations. First off, clubs are allowed to spend an additional €30m of their own money over a rolling three‑year period to cover any excess spending. Also, FFP accounting allows for transfer fees to be paid over the length of a player’s contract. This would give PSG time to sell some players to raise money over the next few years to cover the transfer fees, should such an agreement be reached with Barcelona.</p>
<p>Plus, PSG may be able to use some other creative solutions to plug any deficit in their accounts. For example, in 2014 the Qatari-owned club tried to avoid sanctions by signing a deal with the Qatar Tourism Authority which brought them within UEFA’s FFP earnings threshold. Following an investigation by UEFA, it was deemed to be overvalued (hence the sanctions), but who knows what sort of deals PSG might sign to increase its revenues. </p>
<p>These are in fact some of the reasons why FFP has been heavily criticised since its introduction. Indeed, there has been ample criticism regarding FFP and its potential effects. Some were concerned that the rules would freeze the existing hierarchy in the leagues and preserve the status of the wealthy elite clubs at the top of the table, while limiting the smaller clubs to their own meagre resources and reducing competition. The idea being that those clubs that took advantage of the lack of regulations before FFP would benefit from the change. </p>
<p>My <a href="http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/SBM-10-2016-0058">research</a> into the effect of FFP on the English Premier League (EPL) found little to no evidence to support this criticism. In fact, the study indicates that competition has increased, suggesting that FFP regulations might actually have a positive impact on leagues. Indeed, from the 2012-13 to 2015-16 seasons, there were four consecutive EPL titles won by four different teams – something never previously experienced in the EPL era.</p>
<p>As for Neymar’s transfer prospects, La Liga does not have the jurisdiction to block the move on FFP grounds. The deal – and PSG’s finances – can only be investigated by UEFA, in a potentially long and protracted process involving lots of lawyers. Based on previous sanctions, this may be something PSG is willing to risk.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81982/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Argyro Elisavet Manoli does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Financial Fair Play rules require clubs’ spending to match their earnings.Argyro Elisavet Manoli, Lecturer in Sports Marketing and Communications, Loughborough UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/818592017-08-01T12:16:10Z2017-08-01T12:16:10ZQatar, PSG and the real reason Neymar could sell for a record £198m<p>The footballing world awaits Brazilian footballer Neymar’s move to France’s Paris Saint Germain (PSG) for a <a href="http://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2017/07/31/597f5c9246163f72298b466e.html">world record fee of more than £198m</a> – his FC Barcelona release clause demands as much. Such is the anticipated deal’s magnitude, that it will more than double the size of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/man-utd-splash-record-89m-on-paul-pogba-but-is-he-worth-it-63745">previous £89m record</a>, paid by England’s Manchester United for French player Paul Pogba in 2016. </p>
<p><iframe id="UsStF" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/UsStF/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Rumours have circulated for months that Neymar <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/4034036/manchester-united-transfer-news-neymar-barcelona/">has been unhappy</a> at Barcelona playing in the shadow of Lionel Messi. Some <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/07/29/watch-neymar-storm-training-scuffle-barcelona-team-mate-nelson/">have speculated</a> that Neymar has fallen out with several of his teammates. And with a new manager recently installed at the Spanish club and Neymar’s close friend, fellow Brazilian Dani Alves, also now at PSG, the scene seems set for the move.</p>
<p>Whatever the on-field motives for Neymar’s switch to Paris, the transfer is perhaps a more highly charged affair off it. PSG was purchased by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in 2011, with a view to establishing the club <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/14393012">as a leading global sports brand</a>. While domestic success has been secured, the absence of international achievement has hindered the club’s commercial development. </p>
<p>At one level, Neymar’s acquisition could therefore be interpreted as a high-stakes gamble to deliver on QSI’s vision. Yet over the last two seasons, PSG’s record of player purchases has appeared at odds with this. The club has only signed two players of real note (Julian Draxler from Schalke and Angel Di Maria from Manchester United), neither of whom are of the same calibre as the likes of Neymar, Messi or Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo. </p>
<p>The failure to make significant marquee signings is likely a reflection of the Qatari government’s recent <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/048e5762-f9a4-11e6-bd4e-68d53499ed71">imposition of fiscal stringency measures</a>, a result of low oil prices. This has even hit the country’s 2022 World Cup budget which has seen heavy spending cuts and large job losses across the country. And it has led to discussions about Qatar creating a tax system (its citizens and businesses currently do not pay tax). In this context, the lavish purchase of Neymar is something of a surprise.</p>
<h2>Political motives</h2>
<p>As such, there is another more important, geopolitical, issue to consider. An alternative interpretation of PSG’s Neymar signing is that he could unwittingly be about to become a Qatari poster-boy amid the country’s serious conflict with its near neighbours. Over the last two months, Qatar has been embroiled in an <a href="https://theconversation.com/qatar-saudi-arabia-is-taking-a-chance-and-iran-could-be-the-ultimate-winner-79478">unprecedented regional dispute</a> with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain, following various claims including that it is harbouring international terrorists and is interfering in the domestic affairs of its neighbours. </p>
<p>This has resulted in several countries cutting diplomatic ties with Doha, as well as trade routes into and out of the country being blocked. Indeed, the country’s only land border, with Saudi Arabia, has been closed for some weeks.</p>
<p>Qatar’s response to these moves has been to adopt an assertive, even bullish, position that has seen it move closer to Iran and Turkey, while continuing to emphasise its economic strength. The country retains significant currency reserves, is seeking to boost its gas production to reduce its dependence on oil (which will see it become the world’s biggest producer of liquefied natural gas), and has talked up its credentials as the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/02/world/middleeast/qatar-saudi-arabia-blockade.html">richest country in the world per capita</a>.</p>
<h2>Making a statement</h2>
<p>Neymar’s PSG move, while beneficial to the French club, may therefore be motivated by the political statement it makes and the soft power influence it is likely to have. At a time when the likes of Saudi Arabia want the world to be talking about Qatar in negative terms, Doha has become a focus for the biggest story of the year in the world’s favourite sport.</p>
<p>It may appear that Neymar has thus become a pawn in a regional political spat. Keep in mind though that his original move from Brazil to Barcelona was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/mar/30/neymar-brazil-barcelona-santos-transfer">mired in controversy</a> as he was aggressively courted by one club after another. This is a young man whose representatives understand how to capitalise on the vagaries of the environment in which football clubs operate.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, it is Qatar’s desire to stand tall in front of its regional rivals that has shouted loudest in what is likely to become world football’s biggest ever transfer. Indeed, though many bemoan that sport and politics <a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14732388.Susan_Egelstaff__Politics_and_sport_should_not_be_mixed_______or_so_I_thought/">should not mix</a>, Neymar’s transfer demonstrates that in the 21st century, sport is politics.</p>
<p>The Brazilian star will presumably be largely unconcerned about Saudi claims that Qatar supports the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaeda and Islamic State, and happily bank his big salary at the end of each month. Similarly, PSG and its fans will be pleased that the club’s chances of winning the Champions League are just about to improve dramatically. Yet it is Qatar, as it sits at the centre of world football’s glare, that is likely to be most satisfied by this impending, record-breaking piece of business.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81859/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Chadwick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s all to do with PSG’s Qatari owners.Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sports Enterprise, University of SalfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/798322017-06-21T20:03:25Z2017-06-21T20:03:25ZBusiness Briefing: following the money in cricket<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/174858/original/file-20170621-30177-18h2tk0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Cricket Australia has been unable to broker a new pay deal with the Australian Cricketer's Association. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">EPA/DAVID JONES</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Rather than just admiring a good hit or delivery, there’s another way to analyse what’s happening on a cricket pitch. Cricket players are actually business people, in the sense that they’re weighing up how many resources they have, whether it’s wickets in hand or overs remaining, says Steven Stern, a professor of data science at Bond University.</p>
<p>Stern is responsible for the <a href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/about/cricket/rules-and-regulations/duckworth-lewis-stern">Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method</a>, which is used to calculate the score, and even who wins, when rain interrupts play. He crunches the numbers on games that have been played since the 1990s, and uses the resources remaining to decide what the score should be. </p>
<p>It’s all about risk and reward, says Stern, and the cost benefit analysis carried out by teams and players. </p>
<p>Technology is also changing the business of cricket. On the one hand it provides a useful tool for players to measure how well they are doing, but it can be a double edged sword, this same data can be used in performance indicators. </p>
<p>Sandra Peter and Kai Riemer from the University of Sydney point to the example of the International Cricket Council which is using sensors on cricket bats. These can help to develop the skills of players in training but it can also be used to gather data on player performance, to decide what they get paid.</p>
<p>Pay is the reason cricketers are currently in a stand-off with their governing body Cricket Australia. The cricketers argue that more needs to be spent at the lower levels of the sport.</p>
<p>Judging by what has happened in other sports like rugby league, if money is not spent on the administration and supporting the lower levels, it starts to shows as cracks in the national level of the sport, says Stephen Frawley from UTS.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/79832/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Rather than just admiring a good hit or delivery, there’s another way to analyse what’s happening on a cricket pitch. Cricket players are actually business people, in the sense that they’re weighing up…Jenni Henderson, Section Editor: Business + EconomyJosh Nicholas, Deputy Editor: Business + Economy, The ConversationLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/783662017-05-26T10:13:05Z2017-05-26T10:13:05ZThe problem of treating play like work – how esports can harm well-being<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/171013/original/file-20170525-23234-1y7a1xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Esports has become big business.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bagogames/22364914234">BagoGames/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We are mid-way through the annual esports calendar and South Korean team SK Telecom 1 recently scored a resounding victory at the Mid-Seasonal Invitational. The MSI, as it’s known, is a tournament where teams compete to win the video game League of Legends. This year, for the first time, there were world-class players from 13 regions across the globe battling for a US$1.69m prize pool. SK Telecom 1 skirmished through three weeks of matches to retain their title, taking home <a href="https://www.esportsearnings.com/tournaments/23302-mid-season-invitational-2017">nearly US$700,000 (£544,000) in prize money</a>. </p>
<p>As the esports market of professional gaming grows towards an <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/technology-media-and-telecommunications/articles/tmt-pred16-media-esports-bigger-smaller-than-you-think.html#full-report">estimated US$1.5 billion in 2020</a>, it is expected that world-class players will see further increases in their earnings. There are already prize pools of <a href="http://kotaku.com/dota-2-tournament-pays-out-over-20-million-in-prizemon-1785282878">up to US$20m dollars available</a> and some already earn millions of dollars through lucrative sponsorship and signing bonuses, as well as prize money.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z8OBXtHF4i0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>It is easy to be seduced by these large numbers. But beyond the glitz and the glamour of the esports arena, there are some serious questions that must be asked about how its economy works, and the impact that this has on player well-being. For example, <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/raising-stakes">research shows</a> that the professional context of competitive gaming needs to be understood as a precarious form of work. And players are the most precarious labourers in the ecosystem of esports, which includes sponsors, managers, publishers and many others.</p>
<p>This is partly to do with the age of players. As in physical sports, youth is an important requirement of professional gaming. Gamers struggle to maintain their dexterous abilities past the age of 30 <a href="http://www.esports-news.co.uk/2015/06/26/esports-retire-young-career-snoopeh/">and many retire before that point</a>. This leaves professional gamers in a state of career anxiety similar to that of physical sports. </p>
<p>Most professional gamers rely on tournament income and live a subsistence life, dependent on how well they perform. It’s an income stream that is uncertain and fragmented due to the varying scope and size of competitions. Few esports groups pay salaries, <a href="http://www.esports-news.co.uk/2015/12/09/should-uk-esports-player-contracts-be-enforced-manalight-comments-on-lol-scene/">though some have started to</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/171012/original/file-20170525-23234-h4k50v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/171012/original/file-20170525-23234-h4k50v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=285&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/171012/original/file-20170525-23234-h4k50v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=285&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/171012/original/file-20170525-23234-h4k50v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=285&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/171012/original/file-20170525-23234-h4k50v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/171012/original/file-20170525-23234-h4k50v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/171012/original/file-20170525-23234-h4k50v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Not everyone is as successful as the SK Telecom 1 guys.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/48006568@N05/11345709185">artubr/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Esports is also precarious because of <a href="https://www.academia.edu/31504441/Work_Labour_and_Play_in_eSports_and_Professional_Gaming">the way the industry is structured</a>. There is a pyramid where a very select group of successful elites such as SK Telecom 1 earn a disproportionate amount of money when compared to the tens of thousands of players who have seriously committed themselves to the pursuit of professional gaming as a career. The result is that professional gaming is characterised as a risky career path that is difficult to pursue. It relies on thousands of hours of unpaid labour and the expectation that new starters will fund their own training, travel and subsistence costs. </p>
<h2>Harsh training regimes</h2>
<p>In the case of the game League of Legends, teams have raised the issue of financial hardship with the developer and tournament organisers Riot Games. Late last year, a <a href="http://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-teams-call-for-changes-in-new-letter-1788927941">joint letter</a> was sent to the co-founders of the company by 18 of the top North American and European teams calling for better job security, fairer compensation, and an appropriate infrastructure to support longer player careers. </p>
<p>This call follows a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=105cdUq98wo">series</a> of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjZYMI1zB9s">high-profile documentaries</a> that have highlighted the negative impact that this uncertainty has on player well-being. For example, <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/koreas-online-gaming-empire">research suggests</a> that players are expected to train for 14 to 16 hours a day within spaces organised like factories. They sit in semi-private cubicles or rows of PCs with the sole purpose of maximising playing hours and minimising distractions. These “distractions” include contact with family, friends and intimate partners, due to the unsociable hours that gamers work. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170998/original/file-20170525-23245-9iykzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170998/original/file-20170525-23245-9iykzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170998/original/file-20170525-23245-9iykzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170998/original/file-20170525-23245-9iykzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170998/original/file-20170525-23245-9iykzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170998/original/file-20170525-23245-9iykzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170998/original/file-20170525-23245-9iykzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It can be a lonely life.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/andymiah/23565571622/in/photolist-PSny-3e4pQr-3e8PEj-pMxsYq-BvuaNX-C2Go8Q-BUpHr1-C516Lx-D63248">Andy Miah/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some <a href="http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/30079/1/7570_Griffiths.pdf">esports commentators argue</a> that professional players must prioritise their training regimes over interpersonal relationships, acknowledging that the demands of other hobbies are detrimental to the <a href="http://kotaku.com/retired-at-20-a-pro-gamer-s-life-after-esports-1746907605">focus needed for success</a>. Eating, sleeping, and regimes of personal hygiene are subject to the <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2014/7/21/5919973/inside-the-life-of-a-pro-gamer">same processes of efficiency</a>. And this commitment to the game is valued precisely because it’s broadly understood that this is what is needed to make it within this highly competitive field. </p>
<h2>Taking the fun out of play</h2>
<p>Esports blurs the distinction between play and work by changing how players value the goals of gaming. Gaming does, after all, have many positive effects on human psychology. People express feelings of joy, happiness and satisfaction from overcoming the challenges present in gaming. </p>
<p><audio preload="metadata" controls="controls" data-duration="577" data-image="" data-title="Tom Brock discusses issues with esports." data-size="7587879" data-source="The Conversation" data-source-url="" data-license="CC BY-ND" data-license-url="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">
<source src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/732/esport-segment-2.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
</audio>
<div class="audio-player-caption">
Tom Brock discusses issues with esports.
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a><span class="download"><span>7.24 MB</span> <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/732/esport-segment-2.mp3">(download)</a></span></span>
</div></p>
<p><a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Reality_Is_Broken.html?id=yiOtN_kDJZgC">Research shows</a> that players find themselves completely immersed and engaged in their play – in a way that many forms of work cannot offer. It is competition that gives players a sense of this energy and fullness: they derive purpose, meaning and contentment from unravelling the puzzles of games, and developing strategies to win. Games offer players obtainable goals that <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QVjPsd1UukEC&dq=flow+optimal+experience&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiH6fe5nIvUAhVRF8AKHTq3C8MQ6AEIKDAA">generate a sense of achievement and motivation</a>. From this perspective, esports should have a positive effect on mental health, by helping to boost players’ confidence and self-esteem. </p>
<p>But where there is instability and uncertainty, the focus of play switches away from these positive benefits of gaming. In <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1555412016686878">my research</a> I’ve found that it switches to winning and the need to secure prize money. The result is that players <a href="http://www.redbull.com/en/esports/stories/1331763044620/does-esports-need-a-players%E2%80%99-union">are speaking out</a> about the sense of disenchantment that follows from trying to make it as an esports professional. And many feel that the odds are stacked against them as a result of the precarious system of employment <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/esports-unionization-challenges">that characterises the field</a>. </p>
<p>Play is no longer an escape from work. Rather the way the industry is set up appears to push esports players towards gaming the system they are in. Indeed, cases of <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/rainbow-six-siege-esports-cheating">cheating</a>, <a href="https://www.polygon.com/2014/3/18/5522192/korean-league-of-legends-player-fixed-matches-suicide">match-fixing</a>, and most recently, <a href="http://www.wired.co.uk/article/esports-doping-admission">doping</a>, have begun to emerge. This is the kind of activity that fits a bleak picture of the <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-future-of-esports-challenging-work-and-gender-issues-in-pro-gaming-tickets-34666510466?aff=es2">future of esports</a>, where equanimity is lost to unbridled competition. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>Hear Tom Brock talking about the esports industry and life as a gamer on The Anthill podcast <a href="https://theconversation.com/anthill-13-all-the-worlds-a-game-77763">All the world’s a game</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/78366/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tom Brock is running an one-day sponsored symposia on the future of esports in August.</span></em></p>Beyond the glitz and glamour of the esports arena there are some serious issues with how its economy works and how this affects player well-being.Tom Brock, Lecturer in Sociology, Manchester Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/776542017-05-15T15:26:19Z2017-05-15T15:26:19ZHow corruption in Greek football makes the game’s future uncertain<p>With the 2016-17 football season coming to an end, it is no surprise that Olympiakos FC has yet again won Greece’s Super League. Often referred to <a href="http://www.thefalsenine.co.uk/2013/02/04/greek-football-a-tale-of-one-city/">as a monopoly</a>, Greece’s top league has been won by Olympiakos <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-greece-idUKKCN0W10N8">19 out of the last 21 seasons</a>, making Greek football one of the most predictable championships in Europe. This level of predictability poses a significant threat to the game’s popularity and commercial power.</p>
<p>The consequences of such a predictable league can already be seen in the continuing decline <a href="http://slideplayer.gr/slide/11141676/">in attendance at Greek games</a>. An average of 4,300 spectators attend each game at top flight Super League matches (a reduction in attendance by 12% between 2008-09 and 2012-13), which also has a big knock-on effect on the game’s commercial value to advertisers.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, activities off the pitch <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14660970.2017.1302936">make the game’s future even more uncertain</a>. An investigation <a href="http://greece.greekreporter.com/2016/10/31/match-fixing-trial-postponed-until-november-7-as-courtroom-deemed-too-small-for-84-defendants/">which began in 2011</a> into the match fixing of more than 40 games played in the 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons in the Super League, Football League (second tier) and national cup matches, is still ongoing. </p>
<h2>A perplexing scandal</h2>
<p>The scandal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12117-014-9239-3">came to light in 2011</a> when more than 130 pages of telephone conversation transcripts, which were the result of wiretapping by the Greek national intelligence agency, were made public. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/soccer-europe-greece-corruption-idUSL3E7HN2W720110623">Charges were originally filed</a> against 85 people, including football players, referees, agents, football club owners and governing body officials, employed in more than 26 football clubs. It is the biggest and most perplexing match-fixing scandal the country has ever seen. And <a href="http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/923-Europe/4999-the-departed">the last one</a> was only in 2002. </p>
<p>The wiretapped conversations gave a front row seat to shady agreements, promises of reward and threats of violence. But despite the huge publicity that originally surrounded these revelations, the trials – and news on the case – have <a href="http://greece.greekreporter.com/2016/10/31/match-fixing-trial-postponed-until-november-7-as-courtroom-deemed-too-small-for-84-defendants/">made slow progress</a>. Six years later it is still unclear what exactly happened in the seasons under question. One high profile figure, Super League chairman and Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis, <a href="http://en.protothema.gr/full-and-complete-acquittal-for-olympiacos-marinakis/">was acquitted in 2015</a>. </p>
<h2>Unanswered questions</h2>
<p>The seasons that followed the scandal’s exposure were also tainted with further serious allegations. One former referee alleged that his bakery business was vandalised in 2012 for refusing to comply with a request <a href="http://europe.newsweek.com/greece-charges-41-over-match-fixing-football-scandal-deepens-327763">to match fix</a>. More recently, all league games in November 2016 were briefly suspended while authorities investigated an <a href="http://www.ekathimerini.com/213815/article/ekathimerini/news/probe-finds-blaze-at-greek-refs-home-was-arson">arson attack</a> on the head of Greece’s refereeing committee holiday home. Another member of the committee <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/nov/09/greece-suspend-football-arson-attack-refereeing-chief">resigned</a> after being threatened by two men on his doorstep.</p>
<p>Taking all of this into consideration, the future of Greek football appears to be far from bright. And fan feeling seems to reflect this. One <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2835752/Bundesliga-pips-Premier-League-attendance-table-recording-second-biggest-average-global-professional-sport-NFL.html">recent study</a> suggested that the Greek public had lost interest in domestic football because of its poor image. According to <a href="http://www.kathimerini.gr/791452/article/epikairothta/a8lhtismos/apa3iwmeno-to-ellhniko-podosfairo">another study</a> of Greek fans in 2014, 91% of the 1,006 responders blamed the Greek football’s negative image on systematic bias of league club organisers for specific clubs. About 86% of the respondents said that a government tolerance towards criminal and corrupt practices in football was to blame for its poor situation. Many thought that a significant number of football matches were influenced by match-fixing (76.5%) and that referees were considered to be an integral part of the match-fixing process (78.5%).</p>
<p>Numerous questions still remain unanswered and with the match-fixing case still yet to conclude, predictable results and a public that has clearly lost confidence in the management of the game, it’s reasonable to worry about the future of Greek football.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/77654/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Argyro Elisavet Manoli does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Predictable results and unresolved corruption scandals are a serious issue for the future of the Greek game.Argyro Elisavet Manoli, Lecturer in Sports Marketing and Communications, Loughborough UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/773552017-05-09T15:06:50Z2017-05-09T15:06:50ZHow fan loyalty fails to help football’s much-needed financial reform<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/168597/original/file-20170509-11030-1d5zvnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Another month, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/apr/26/newcastle-west-ham-raided-hmrc-tax-fraud-investigation-transfers-lee-charnley-arrested">another potential money scandal</a> in the beautiful game. Unfortunately, and despite several weeks passing since tax officers raided two Premier League clubs, uncertainty remains as to who exactly is suspected of committing crimes, and what these misdemeanours are likely to entail.</p>
<p>What we do know <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/04/26/newcastle-managing-director-lee-charnley-arrested-st-james-park/">is as follows</a>: in late April 180 HM Revenue and Customs officers were deployed to search premises and seize possessions (including computers, mobile phones and business/financial records) of officials associated with sizeable English clubs (Newcastle and West Ham have featured most prominently in reports). Equivalent investigations also took place in France, most notably in Marseille. </p>
<p>The investigation relates to suspected tax fraud associated with several player transfers between these and potentially other clubs, amounting to a £5m loss in tax revenue. A host of other people not employed by the clubs have been implicated, ranging from agents associated with players and the clubs in question to members of organised crime gangs. Both clubs have declined to comment in any detail, although each have said they are <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/96404906-2a6c-11e7-bc4b-5528796fe35c">assisting HMRC</a> with its enquiries.</p>
<p>And yet, despite these reports, public outcry has been muted. Is this accepted as business as usual in the world of football?</p>
<h2>Financial foul-play</h2>
<p>Stories of financial mismanagement in football have become an all-too-common phenomenon. Even a brief reel of recent scandals is hard to compile, such is the volume of possible examples. Corruption in FIFA such as <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39747787">the recent admission of bribery charges</a> by top official Richard Lai, seems one obvious place to start. Then there was last year’s ruling on Lionel Messi’s non-declared earnings and his <a href="https://theconversation.com/lionels-messy-tax-affairs-are-part-of-a-bigger-problem-in-football-62184">use of tax havens</a>. Not to mention <a href="https://theconversation.com/sam-allardyce-sting-is-the-latest-chapter-in-a-new-era-of-investigative-reporting-66215">Big Sam’s gaff</a> over player ownership that cost him his job as England manager. </p>
<p>But perhaps a more relevant scandal presents itself in the case of Glasgow’s Rangers FC and its ultimate liquidation following financial troubles in the late 2000s. This case related in part to the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34720850">use of employee benefit trusts</a> to pay players and staff in loans between 2001 and 2010. HMRC says these loans disguised salary payments to staff and that it missed out on £46.2m in tax as a result. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/168592/original/file-20170509-10997-fnblyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/168592/original/file-20170509-10997-fnblyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/168592/original/file-20170509-10997-fnblyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/168592/original/file-20170509-10997-fnblyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/168592/original/file-20170509-10997-fnblyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/168592/original/file-20170509-10997-fnblyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/168592/original/file-20170509-10997-fnblyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">HMRC says it missed out £46.2m in tax payments from Rangers FC.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">trevorb / Shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Dubbed the “big tax case”, the courts found in favour of HMRC, but BDO, the liquidator of the former Rangers FC deny that employee benefit trusts were used inappropriately and appeals <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/dae5b3e8-08cf-11e7-ac5a-903b21361b43">continue today</a>. Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/watch-live-feed-rangers-big-10030799">reports swirl</a> that HMRC has been investigating major English clubs over the misuse of similar schemes.</p>
<h2>Lack of meaningful action</h2>
<p>We can all foresee incentives <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-it-comes-to-tax-how-do-we-decide-whats-fair-57507">to avoid paying tax</a> – and in sport the need to gain competitive advantage is palpable. Equally, with so much money sloshing around the game, it makes sense that a great deal of effort goes into managing it appropriately. But what can tax authorities do to stop clubs from not paying their dues? After all, a lot of tax management is <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-whats-the-difference-between-tax-avoidance-and-evasion-57755">in a grey area</a>. </p>
<p>There is a wealth of research into theories of effective regulation. These include the more heavy-handed threat of <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e84ce490-cf5c-11e6-9341-7393bb2e1b51">fines if taxes are dodged</a> and getting companies to self-regulate, such as through <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/the-code-of-practice-on-taxation-for-banks">codes of conduct</a>, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/tax/11147321/Five-tricks-or-nudges-HMRC-uses-to-make-you-pay-210m-extra.html">nudging techniques</a> and also name and shame approaches such as publicly listing all companies that <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/largest-ever-list-of-national-minimum-wage-offenders-published">fail to pay the national minimum wage</a>. </p>
<p>The recent operation involving British and French authorities would undoubtedly appear in the more heavy-handed bracket. Whether or not these and other investigations will lead to any prosecutions is another matter. More dubious still is the prospect that this case will be the last of its sort when it comes to financial irregularities in British football.</p>
<p>But regulation can only do so much without concerted political will and the demand from society at large for action. The problem of football clubs not being upfront about their tax affairs is not specific to football. And there has been a distinct lack of sustained public outrage over the types of financial management and <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/creative-accounting.asp">“creative accounting”</a> that takes place among big companies. Often entirely legal, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2016/may/10/were-losing-240bn-a-year-to-tax-avoidance-who-really-ends-up-paying">OECD estimates</a> that around US$240 billion is lost in tax revenue around the world as a result of tax avoidance techniques. </p>
<p>Tragically much of the ire towards financial foul play in society more generally – and most obviously the 2008 global financial crash – has failed to reassure us that meaningful action is likely to follow. There is a decided feeling that leading bankers, financial speculators and associated elites <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/04/magazine/only-one-top-banker-jail-financial-crisis.html?_r=0">got away with the crisis</a>, despite its huge impact on society.</p>
<p>If apathy is present with respect to financial irregularities in general, this is compounded by the unique nature of football as an industry and the seeming inability of negative publicity to act as a handbrake on clubs’ moneymaking. Fans of Newcastle United, for example, already have a long rap-sheet of discontent towards owner Mike Ashley. He is the owner of Sports Direct, the firm which MPs <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jul/22/mike-ashley-running-sports-direct-like-victorian-workhouse">compared to a “Victorian workhouse”</a> last year. And the club is sponsored by payday loan company Wonga, which has suffered <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/mar/01/wonga-real-cost-payday-loan">persistent criticism</a> for exploitation of the needy. In addition, fans have also suffered relegation from the top flight of football twice under Ashley’s tenure, yet still turn out in their droves to support their team.</p>
<p>It seems, unlike other industries, sport relies on a customer base which is uniquely loyal to its provider. While admirable, this undoubtedly relieves some of the pressure on clubs and the football industry as a whole to properly eradicate financial malpractice.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/77355/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thomas Hastings does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Stories of financial mismanagement in football have become all too common. Where is the outcry?Thomas Hastings, Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, University of SheffieldLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/758812017-04-07T11:04:56Z2017-04-07T11:04:56ZTo win the war against illegal streaming sites the Premier League must beat them at their own game<p>The Premier League is desperately trying to stop people from illegally streaming football games. Its <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/premier-league-illegal-streaming-live-stream-crackdown-high-court-a7620406.html">latest victory</a> in the UK’s High Court was to stop hundreds of thousands of people watching matches for free via a Kodi set-top box. Britain’s top four broadband providers have been ordered to block connections to the servers that host pirated streams of games.</p>
<p>The order was the latest in a series of moves to combat this illegal viewing. The rights to legally broadcast games were bought <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-premier-league-away-prices-will-fall-after-record-tv-rights-deal-37489">for £5.136 billion by Sky and BT</a>, so the Premier League wants to make sure that these are protected. Ultimately, however, it is fighting the wrong war. </p>
<p>This is an old-school strategy focused upon what is essentially an analogue medium – television. The reality is that the target audience for the Premier League, and younger people especially, is increasingly abandoning TV. Viewing figures this season show this clearly: they have fallen <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-08/sky-s-struggling-flagship-soccer-game-is-in-multi-year-decline">nearly 39% since 2011-12</a>.</p>
<p>Similarly, early figures for BT’s coverage of the UEFA Champions League have shown a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/oct/24/sky-sports-bt-sport-people-switching-football-off">drop of up to 40%</a>. And it’s a similar story for other sports – across the Atlantic, viewing figures for the NFL have fallen 14%, affecting Monday night football particularly, where viewer numbers have fallen by <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/2016/12/04/nfl-tv-ratings-crashed-2016/">more than 20% year-on-year</a>. To be sure, these are early figures that could simply represent a blip. But given that the pattern is similar across time slots, channels, sports and countries they can’t just be casually dismissed.</p>
<h2>Changing habits</h2>
<p>While it’s inevitably the case that Premier League coverage will be losing some viewers to illegal download services, they will also be losing viewers because the programming is, in the main, being delivered in a way that is becoming increasingly outdated. In contrast, out of all the viewing figures data, initial indications suggest that viewing by BT Sport’s app and website is up <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/oct/24/sky-sports-bt-sport-people-switching-football-off">by around 17%</a>. </p>
<p>These figures hint at the changing reality of media consumption. Younger viewers – born into a world where social media and on-demand services such as Netflix and Amazon are the norm – are “cutting the cord”. They simply don’t watch TV in the traditional way any more. Sky, which was the future once with its satellite dishes, has acknowledged this both through its <a href="http://www.wired.co.uk/article/now-tv-launch-new-box-cost">NowTV online streaming service</a> and the announcement that from next year its main service will be available through broadband and without the need for a dish.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164441/original/image-20170407-29386-8q8487.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164441/original/image-20170407-29386-8q8487.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164441/original/image-20170407-29386-8q8487.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164441/original/image-20170407-29386-8q8487.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164441/original/image-20170407-29386-8q8487.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164441/original/image-20170407-29386-8q8487.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164441/original/image-20170407-29386-8q8487.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The new normal.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ofcom’s 2016 <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/cmr/cmr16">report</a> found that the amount of time per day that people watched conventional television (that is on an actual TV at the time of broadcast) had fallen 26 minutes between 2010 and 2015. This masks huge generational divides as the figure fell 27% for those aged 16-24 but just 0.2% for those aged 65 and over. Take a step further back and the picture remains the same: over the ten years between 2005 and 2015, TV viewing fell in all age groups apart from the over-55s with significant falls in those aged under-45.</p>
<h2>The new digital landscape</h2>
<p>It has been a gradual change, but it shows no sign of abating and suggests that there may well be a significant long-term threat to the subscription-based TV business model that has held sway for the past 30 years. Younger viewers increasingly want a TV service which allows them to curate their own viewing experience – whether to watch live shows later (known as timeshifting), or to gorge on box sets or series in one go. The more this is the case, the more watching shows at a set time will become a thing of the past.</p>
<p>In turn, this new digital landscape is presenting potential new opportunities for smaller clubs or smaller, so-called “second-tier” sports. For example, on November 1 last year, the night that Manchester City beat Barcelona 3-1, some <a href="http://digitalsport.co/2-1m-watch-table-tennis-on-facebook-live">2.1m people</a> took to the Sport Bible’s Facebook page to watch the England table tennis team take on Greece in a European Championship home qualifier. In 2015, the Henley Regatta did a <a href="http://www.svgeurope.org/blog/headlines/innovative-production-and-record-numbers-for-henley-royal-regatta-live-on-youtube/">deal with YouTube</a> to broadcast every race live, the first coverage of the event for 33 years. Instead of waiting for legacy channels such as Sky or the BBC to come along with a bag of cash, these smaller sports have the opportunity of linking up with an online platform that can offer a potentially big, global audience and a share of the advertising generated.</p>
<p>The NFL is already experimenting with digital broadcasts. After a <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-05/twitter-said-to-win-nfl-deal-for-thursday-night-streaming-rights">season-long deal with Twitter</a>, Thursday night American football games will be now be <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000797854/article/nfl-amazon-prime-announce-tnf-streaming-deal">streamed on Amazon Prime</a>, albeit alongside mainstream TV broadcasts. That gives the NFL plenty of time to see which way the wind is blowing before its main TV rights packages come up for renewal in 2021. </p>
<p>Arguably, this is what the Premier League should be doing too. Instead of chasing greater TV revenues from viewers who are increasingly looking elsewhere, the Premier League would be wise to supply what its audience wants. Perhaps even cut out the middle man and establish its own on-demand, Netflix-style service, especially for football.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/75881/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Roger Domeneghetti does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Is it time the Premier League developed an on-demand, Netflix-style football watching service?Roger Domeneghetti, Lecturer in Journalism, Northumbria University, NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/743472017-03-30T14:33:26Z2017-03-30T14:33:26ZHow football’s richest clubs fail to pay staff a real living wage<p>English football’s top flight, the Premier League, dominates the <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/sports-business-group/articles/deloitte-football-money-league.html">sporting world’s league tables</a> for revenue. Star players, managers and executives command <a href="http://sillyseason.com/list/salaries/premier-league-wages-per-team-69064/">lucrative wages</a>. Thanks to the biggest TV deal in world football, the 20 Premier League clubs share £10.4 billion between them.</p>
<p>But this wealth bonanza is not being distributed fairly within clubs. Wages are dramatically lower for staff at the opposite end of the Premier League labour market to players and executives. Many encounter <a href="http://www.citizensuk.org/what_about_a_transfer_window_for_those_in_working_poverty">in-work poverty</a>. </p>
<p>Indeed, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/oct/31/everton-to-pay-staff-living-wage">Everton and Chelsea</a> are the only two Premiership clubs fully accredited with the <a href="http://www.livingwage.org.uk/">Living Wage Foundation</a> to pay all lower-paid directly employed staff, as well as external contractors and agency staff, a real living wage. This is a (voluntary) wage that is higher than the legally required national living wage. It is calculated based on what employees and their families need to live, reflecting real rises in living costs. In London it’s £9.75 an hour, elsewhere it’s £8.45. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163311/original/image-20170330-4555-1rp2mgv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163311/original/image-20170330-4555-1rp2mgv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163311/original/image-20170330-4555-1rp2mgv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163311/original/image-20170330-4555-1rp2mgv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163311/original/image-20170330-4555-1rp2mgv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163311/original/image-20170330-4555-1rp2mgv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163311/original/image-20170330-4555-1rp2mgv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One of two Premier League clubs to pay the real living wage to all staff.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">asurobson / Shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Of 92 clubs in England and Scotland’s football leagues, only three others – Luton Town, Derby County and Hearts – are also accredited with the Living Wage Foundation. And many club staff – cleaners, caterers, stewards and other match-day roles – are employed indirectly by agencies or contractors and not paid the real living wage.</p>
<p>In 2015, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/living-wage-campaign-seven-premier-league-clubs-refuse-to-comment-on-employees-pay-a6706951.html">The Independent</a> newspaper asked 20 Premier League clubs simple questions: Does your club pay the living wage to full-time staff? Does it pay, or is it committed to paying the living wage to part-time and contracted staff? Seven clubs failed to reply or said “no comment”.</p>
<h2>Good business, good society?</h2>
<p>Many football clubs are embedded in urban communities, some classified as among the most impoverished places in Western Europe. What does it say about ethics and employment practices, especially of wealthier Premier League clubs, when many match-day staff don’t receive a proper living wage?</p>
<p>Aside from moral factors relating to fairer distribution of wealth as the glue underpinning <a href="https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/resources/the-spirit-level">more equal societies</a>, there is also a good business case for companies to pay a real living wage. According to the Living Wage Foundation, organisations among the 2,900 accredited as paying the voluntary living wage report <a href="http://www.livingwage.org.uk/why-pay-living-wage%20">significant improvements</a> in quality of work, lower staff absence and turnover – and an improved corporate reputation as a result.</p>
<p>Everton FC, located in an area of Liverpool with high social deprivation, has announced that becoming an accredited Living Wage Foundation employer will significantly increase wages for contractors and casual, match-day staff. Denise Barrett-Baxendale, the club’s deputy chief executive, <a href="http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/everton-pay-staff-contractors-living-12101127">has said</a>: “Supporting the accredited living wage is quite simply the right thing to do; it improves our employees’ quality of life but also benefits our business and society as a whole.” Everton’s neighbours Liverpool FC has yet to make a similar commitment. </p>
<p>Independent <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0263774X15614677">academic research</a> suggests that while workers benefit from the real living wage, it’s not an automatic fix. Higher hourly pay does not necessarily translate into a better standard of living if working hours are too low. The problem is that there are large concentrations of part-time living wage jobs with few hours and so small income increases are offset by rising costs of living. </p>
<h2>Ending foul pay</h2>
<p>There has recently been growing mobilisation among the public, civil society, supporters groups and some politicians to pressure football clubs to pay the real living wage. The GMB, a big general workers union, launched the <a href="http://www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/play-to-end-foul-pay">GMB End Foul Pay campaign</a>. London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, recently urged every London Premier League club to pay all staff the <a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/news/mayor/sadiq-khan-demands-londons-top-football-clubs-pay-living-wage-a3442441.html">London living wage</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163316/original/image-20170330-4592-1u4kc2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163316/original/image-20170330-4592-1u4kc2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163316/original/image-20170330-4592-1u4kc2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163316/original/image-20170330-4592-1u4kc2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163316/original/image-20170330-4592-1u4kc2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163316/original/image-20170330-4592-1u4kc2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163316/original/image-20170330-4592-1u4kc2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Frustrated with foul pay.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lorna Roberts / Shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In Manchester, living wage campaigners have targeted the city’s two big clubs Manchester City and Manchester United. While progress has been reported at Manchester City, Manchester United has yet to commit to extending the living wage to its directly employed part-time match-day staff. By contrast, FC United of Manchester, the breakaway non-league club formed by Manchester United fans disenchanted with the Glazers’ ownership, pays the real living wage to all staff, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/living-wage-campaign-manchester-clubs-urged-to-pay-employees-fairly-a6705096.html">setting an example to the much richer football giant</a>. Manchester United presently ranks as the “<a href="http://www.cityam.com/257333/manchester-united-replace-real-madrid-richest-club-world">richest club in the world</a>”, having achieved record-breaking revenues of £515.3m in 2015-16. </p>
<p>But despite these grassroots campaigns and political exhortations, few football clubs are taking concrete measures to improve the wages and working conditions of lower-paid staff. It appears that leaving pay determination to the prerogative of club owners and executives is not working. Stronger regulation and political intervention may have to be contemplated – such as raising the legal national living wage and giving better legal rights and protections to indirectly employed staff on precarious contracts. </p>
<p>Such issues clearly go beyond football clubs in an economy that still hasn’t recovered <a href="https://mainlymacro.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/when-is-economic-recovery-not-recovery.html">from the 2008 financial crisis</a>. The state of the UK labour market is currently being considered by the government’s <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/taylor-review-on-modern-employment-practices-launches">review of modern employment practices</a>, but we can expect little to change when the economic model remains fundamentally the same. </p>
<p>The misguided political ideology of self-regulating market forces has created stark inequalities as wealth continues to trickle up <a href="https://theconversation.com/fighting-inequality-and-poverty-requires-a-more-humane-view-of-economics-71600">disproportionately to the top 1%</a> and countervailing institutions, particularly trade unions, have been <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-relevant-are-the-tuc-and-unions-today-65183">emasculated</a>. Low pay in football clubs and elsewhere reflects this broader systemic context of contemporary capitalism.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/74347/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The wealth bonanza enjoyed by top flight football clubs does not trickle down to many of their employees.Tony Dobbins, Professor of Employment Studies, Bangor UniversityPeter Prowse, Professor of Human Resource Management and Employment Relations, Sheffield Hallam UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.