Section of Sport Management/Sport Economics

Within the broad spectrum of economic approaches, the Department of Sport Management/Sport Economics is primarily oriented towards genuine economic approaches. A wide variety of aspects of sport and Value creation are examined within the key themes of health, performance, education and society.

The focus is on two core topics:

A) the economic design of sport (the organization of competitions, leagues, clubs and sports promotion) and its framework conditions, the resulting structural and financial risk (for clubs, athletes and sponsors) and its consequences (Economic design of sport, financial risk and behavioral responses)

B) Causality in sports management and sports economics

Corresponding questions are currently being investigated in two major projects, among others:

1) the Sport Development Report for Germany (2004-2026), funded by the Federal Institute for Sport Science, the DOSB and all 16 state sports federations, which examines the development of sports clubs in Germany in structural, financial and public welfare terms. 

2) the evaluation of the UEFA EURO 2024 on behalf of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, a joint project with the University of Bielefeld, in which the contribution of the EURO 2024 to economic, social and ecological sustainability is examined.

The department also sees itself as a partner for non-university stakeholders. Through cooperation and consulting services, knowledge is regularly transferred to politicians, the public sector, foundations, associations, clubs and companies.

The research results of the department are internationally visible in leading scientific journals in the fields of (sports) management, (sports) marketing and (sports) economics.

Head of the department is Prof. Dr. Christoph Breuer.