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Combining knowledge from sport management, marketing, media, leadership, governance, and consumer behavior in innovative ways, this book goes further than any other in surveying current theory and research on the business of women's sport around the world, making it an unparalleled resource for all those who aspire to work in, or understand, women's sport. Featuring international perspectives, with authors from North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, and insightful, in-depth profiles of real leaders within different sectors of women's sport in the global sport industry, the Routledge Handbook of the Business of Women's Sport offers an integrated understanding of the ways traditional media and social media impact both the understanding and the advancement of women's sport properties, businesses, teams, and athletes. Innovative case studies show how societal issues such as gender, power, and framing impact the business of women's sports and those who work in women's sport. An essential reference for any researcher or advanced student with an interest in women's sport or women in business, and useful supplementary reading for researchers and advanced students working in sport business, sport management, mainstream business and management, or women's studies.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to develop an initial understanding of sport brand ambassador participants' experiences in sponsored user generated branding (UGB) programs to assist sport organizations in developing the most mutually beneficial brand ambassador programs possible.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were held with six individuals who serve as brand ambassadors for various sport brands. Data were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis.FindingsParticipants were intrinsically motivated to serve in brand ambassador roles. Their experiences were impacted by whether their personal expectations were met, perceived relationship with the brand, perceived value to the brand, and perceived amount of work involved. They reported the best aspects of participation were a sense of community and free products and/or discounts. The most challenging aspects included not wanting to come across as a marketer, self-inflicted pressure to perform a certain way for the brand, pressure to purchase products, and lack of clear communication from the brand.Research limitations/implicationsAs this study was qualitative, the findings are unique to the participants and the brands they represent. Therefore, the findings may be used to guide other research and brands but are not generalizable.Practical implicationsSport brands wishing to employ sponsored UGB strategies such as brand ambassador programs must set clear expectations for ambassadors, communicate regularly, and develop a sense of community with and among ambassadors.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the limited sport management research on sponsored UGB and offers theoretical and practical implications in the areas of sport marketing and branding.

Sport organizations regulate athletes' use of social media for many reasons including the protection of the organization's reputation. Several strategies have been introduced to minimize issues related to the negative consequences athlete social media use may present, yet whether these strategies also work to address social media distractions experienced by athletes during major sport events is not well known. Utilizing communication privacy management (CPM) theory, the purpose of the current research was to examine the aspects of social media that sport administrators perceive to be distracting to athletes and what support and management mechanisms are utilized to address such concerns during major sport events. Semistructured interviews ( N = 7) with Australian national sport organization (NSO) administrators were conducted. Sport administrators reported several aspects of social media that are perceived to distract athletes including personal and performance criticism and a fixation with social media profiles. Social media could also be used to manage athlete temperament. As a result, organizations highlighted both proactive and reactive communication boundaries and mechanisms that could be used to address concerns including content restrictions, best practice case studies, engaging in conversations, and monitoring. Opportunities for sport practitioners are described including conducting consultation sessions with athletes to better understand their needs regarding their social media use.

Purpose As the popularity of social media increases, sports brands must develop specific strategies to use them to enhance fan loyalty and build brand equity. The purpose of this paper is to explore how two social media platforms were utilised by the Grand Slam tennis events to achieve branding and relationship marketing goals. Design/methodology/approach A content analytic design was employed to examine Twitter and Facebook posts from the official accounts during, and post-, each respective event. Findings Both sites were utilised to cultivate long-term relationships with fans and develop brand loyalty, rather than to undertake short-term marketing activations. However, these sites appear to serve a different purpose, and therefore unique strategies are required to leverage opportunities afforded by each. Interestingly, brand associations were utilised more frequently during the post-event time period. Practical implications This study offers practitioners with useful insight on branding and relationship-building strategies across two social platforms. These results suggest that strategies appear dependent on the event, timeframe and specific platform. Moreover, the events’ differences in post use and focus may also indicate some differences related to event branding in an international context. Furthermore, sport organisations should look to leverage creative strategies to overcome limitations that platform-specific functionality may impose. Originality/value This study offers unique insights brand-building efforts in an international event setting, which differ in a range of contextual factors that impact on social media utilisation.

Online abuse has become a frequent and prevalent occurrence within the sporting landscape. Instances of online abuse can be sparked by “trigger events,” which are reactive, emotionally driven moments in sport that are the by-product of its competitive nature. While social media utilization by athletes has increased and can provide various benefits, it can simultaneously contribute to detrimental pitfalls, such as abuse. This study employed a quantitative, longitudinal case study analysis to examine the discriminatory online abuse directed at six Olympic athletes on Twitter/X between 2018 and 2022. Analysis of 243,276 tweets revealed continued forms of discriminatory abuse (e.g., gendered, racial, homophobic) present in content and identified two new types of discrimination related to nationalism and transphobia. Recommendations for the safeguarding of athletes against online abuse are provided.

This study examined social media posts by athletes from eight nations (Australia, Brazil, Germany Iran, Japan, South Africa, United Kingdom, and United States) with varied applications of the International Olympic Committee Rule 40 during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games. Guided by the concept of ambush marketing, we sought to determine to what extent Olympic athletes followed or violated Rule 40 during the Tokyo Games and what impact that had on engagement with their posts. Our quantitative content analysis of 9,387 Instagram posts from 622 athletes revealed that 4.32 percent of posts violated Rule 40, and these posts received significantly less engagement than non-violation posts. Theoretically our findings contribute to the ambush marketing literature by offering confirmation that athletes from several nations engage in ambush marketing via social media, and athletes developed a new way to circumvent Rule 40 by tagging their personal sponsors within images.

Sport organizations regulate athletes’ use of social media for many reasons including the protection of the organization’s reputation. Several strategies have been introduced to minimize issues related to the negative consequences athlete social media use may present, yet whether these strategies also work to address social media distractions experienced by athletes during major sport events is not well known. Utilizing communication privacy management (CPM) theory, the purpose of the current research was to examine the aspects of social media that sport administrators perceive to be distracting to athletes and what support and management mechanisms are utilized to address such concerns during major sport events. Semi-structured interviews (N = 7) with Australian national sport organizations (NSOs) administrators were conducted. Sport administrators reported several aspects of social media that are perceived to distract athletes including personal and performance criticism and a fixation with social media profiles. Social media could also be used to manage athlete temperament. As a result, organizations highlighted both proactive and reactive communication boundaries and mechanisms that could be used to address concerns including content restrictions, best practice case studies, engaging in conversations, and monitoring. Opportunities for sport practitioners are described including conducting consultation sessions with athletes to better understand their needs regarding their social media use.

Geurin-Eagleman relates her personal struggle regarding whether or not to change her name after her divorce. She felt it would harm her academic career to change it back to her maiden name, but she also felt that she was missing out on reclaiming parts of herself that she lost during her 8-year marriage.

As one of the only major international multisport events to feature both men and women competitors, the Olympic Games are unique in that they provide an opportunity for more equitable media coverage between men and women athletes. This chapter presents an historical overview of both the amount and the quality of coverage devoted to women athletes during the Olympic Games, while also discussing the emergence of new media, the potential benefits internet-based media coverage holds for women athletes, the power that social media afford women athletes in terms of promoting their careers and seeking commercial opportunities, and the challenges many women athletes face with social media use. The chapter concludes with a profile of Olympic Gold medal-winning gymnast, Nastia Liukin, who is now a member of US-based broadcaster NBC's Olympic broadcast team and who founded a company focused on empowering young female athletes via the use of a mobile app.

The evolution of women's sports over the last four decades has been dramatic, with indicators showing reason for continued growth. In this era, when women's sport is positioned to break new ground economically and socially, there is a need to focus on the value women bring to sport as athletes, managers, leaders, and scholars. Questions emerging include whether the antiquated approach to women's sport coverage will be altered in the digital environment in ways that will add value. What marketing distinctions relevant for women's sport are understood, and what remains to be explored? How does \"gatekeeping\" prevent women from advancing to positions where decision-making authority could significantly impact the relationship between consumers and the product, property, or event? These questions continue to evolve, along with opportunities for innovative ways to develop our understanding of women's sports through research and education. In this handbook we bring thought leaders together to engage in discussion on some of the key questions emerging as we highlight the untapped business potential of women's sport.