The Value of Sport

This monograph is a comprehensive meta-review and empirically grounded exploration of the economic value of sport in Germany. In a policy environment increasingly driven by demands for evidence-based decision-making, the work responds to the growing need to quantify and substantiate the contributions of the sport sector to the economy and society. Using a rich body of data, including sport satellite accounts, national statistics, sport development reports, and academic studies, this work builds on and extends previous research by systematically integrating diverse thematic and methodological perspectives, updating empirical findings, and expanding existing discussions on the economic and societal value of sport. It offers a coherent and multidimensional framework that not only takes a closer look at the tangible effects of the sport sector, such as contributions to GDP, infrastructure investments, consumption effects, labor market effects, and fiscal revenues, but also examines intangible effects such as health, education, volunteering, and social cohesion.

Each chapter applies a consistent analytical format, including a functional framing of sport’s role, a synthesis of empirical findings, a discussion of methodological approaches, and an identification of current research gaps. By linking empirical evidence with theoretical frameworks, methodological considerations, and policy debates, the work offers concrete implications for students and scholars of sport economics, sport management, public economics, and policy studies, as well as for decision-makers in government, sport organizations, and the private sector.