MEMOIRE
P r é s e n t é e n v u e d e l ' o b t e n t i o n d u M a s t e r e n S c i e n c e s é c o n o m i q u e s , f i n a l i t é M a n a g e m e n t S c i e n c e
Winning the Sport Business when you are a minor sport: A Delphi study
Par Hung-Vi Dang-Vu
Directeur: Professeur Bernhard Adriaensens Assesseur: Professeur Luc Vandeputte
Année académique 2012 -2013
Année académique 20[ xx ] - 20[xx ]
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Acknowledgments
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude towards the
people who have contributed to this thesis:
Bernhard Adriaensens – my promoter who had constantly guided me in the
right direction with constructive criticism.
Luc Vandeputte – my assessor who provided me the contact of all the experts
interviewed during the research study.
The Respondents – I would like also to express my gratitude to the ones who
have taken their time and effort answering my questionnaire and survey.
____________________
Hung-Vi Dang-Vu
SBS-EM
29/07/2013
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Table of contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 4
Glossary ........................................................................................................................... 5
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 6
2. Why a study dedicated to the minor sport? ................................................................... 8
2.1 Opportunities around the minor sport ............................................................................. 9
3. Case study: Ultimate Fighting Championship, The rise of the MMA .............................. 11
3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 11
3.2 The rise of the MMA ....................................................................................................... 11
3.1 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 15
4. Methodology ............................................................................................................. 16
4.1 Instrumentation .............................................................................................................. 16
4.2 Subjects ........................................................................................................................... 18
4.3 Data collection ................................................................................................................ 19
4.4 First round Delphi ........................................................................................................... 20
4.5 Second round Delphi ...................................................................................................... 21
5. Analysis and discussion .............................................................................................. 21
5.1 Results of the first round Delphi ..................................................................................... 21
5.2 Results of the second round Delphi................................................................................ 25
5.3 Possible reasons of a non-consensus ............................................................................. 32
6. Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 35
7. Further recommendation ........................................................................................... 37
8. References ................................................................................................................. 38
9. Annexes ..................................................................................................................... 45
9.1 The questionnaire ........................................................................................................... 45
9.2 The online survey............................................................................................................ 47
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Abstract
Given the importance and the evolution of the technology, especially in the
entertainment industry, the sport has become a popular business and reveals to be a
lucrative market for entrepreneurs and stakeholders. Yet, there is a lack of research
around minor sports and their role within the sport business when determining
whether or not, a non-popular sport is able to claim a major pie of the sport industry
for the next decades, regarding its capacity to build an awareness within the market,
to take advantage of the new media, to attract sponsors, and to translate its popularity
into revenues. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine strategies a minor sport
should take into account in order to win the sport business through the Delphi
method, a qualitative research method most often neglected among the graduates.
These results indicate that the environment from which, the sport benefits today, is
positive and needs to get professionalized as soon as possible in order to handle
bigger business environments. Sport governing bodies need to comply and evolve
hand by hand with the entertainment industry and beyond; a minor sport can rely on
the new opportunities offered by new media and the growing ambitions of the
Generation Y.
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Glossary
Abbreviation Meaning
AFL
Australian Football League
CEO Chief Executive Officer
CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
EA Electronic Arts
FFSA Fédération Française des Sports Automobiles
FITA The International Archery Federation
IMMAF International Mixed Martial Arts Federation
MMA Mixed Martial Arts
NFL National Football League
PPV Pay-Per-View
SD Standard Deviation
SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. Business framework
THQ Toy Head-Quarters. North American developer and publisher of video
games
UFC
WWE
Ultimate Fighting Championship
World Wrestling Entertainment
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1. Introduction
Over the years, the economic dimension of sport has literally blowup. The
sport itself has evolved from the status of social activity to the status of business
opportunity since it became a lucrative industry for media and companies (Zagnoli,
2006; Radicchi, 2006). Indeed, new digital technologies such as internet, video-on-
demand, mobile phones, WebTV have changed the way a sport can be produced,
delivered and consumed, which represent a huge opportunity for sport organizations,
media, sponsors or public (Santomier, 2006; Shuart, 2006).
Today, with the rise of new digital technologies, a real convergence is seen
between the sport and entertainment industries as sport offers valuable contents to
media and digital technologies remain a non-negligible promotional tool for the sport.
Indeed, live sports broadcasting remains the most important source of revenues for
sport organizations besides ticketing or merchandising (Bolotny, 2006; Bourg, 2006).
Moreover, the sport business is becoming a buyer‟s market since it constantly needs
to offer attractive contents to broadcasters in order to stay in the game (Back, 2004;
Blatter, 2004; Bughin, 2004). This exposure is essential for attracting sponsors and for
the promotion of the sport as a whole (Grant, 2008; Graeme, 2008). Without media,
sport events would not have any meaning at all. Between the 60‟s and 80‟s, the sport
played a significant role in the growth of television (Whannel, 2009). Television
coupled with sponsorship changed the way sport was perceived, and unlike many
other televised shows, sport was offering to the public, an unpredictable live viewing
experience (Whannel, 2009).
In this new sport marketplace, only the most innovative organizations can
succeed, while organizations stuck on their origin will lose their market shares slowly
and slowly (Mahony, 2001; Howard, 2001). Indeed, since the global recession in
2008, sport marketing business models shifted and a re-adaptation within the
organizational structure is needed (Goldman, 2011). However, the sport has continued
to thrive through major events. While many industries are still affected by the
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financial crisis, sport remains a growing market (PwC, 2011). In 2011, a study led by
PwC support that global sports market revenues will rise at a compound annual
growth rate of 3.7% from US$121.4 billion in 2010 to US$145.3 billion in 2015.
Improved economic conditions and new digital technologies are argued to be the
future two main drivers of the global sport revenues increase. Then, the sport able to
offer the most entertaining and exciting content will claim the major pie of the market
share (PwC, 2011).
Although many economic papers have studied the sport business or new media
opportunities, there is a lack of research specifically focused on winning the sport
business, on how a sport can grow in a competitive market such as the sport industry
and become a significant player. Since the industry has evolved very quickly,
strategies for marketers and sport organizations have to follow in order to stay in the
game and minor sports can still improve their games in order to increase their market
shares.
For the purpose of this study, winning the sport business will not only be
based on popularity, attracting players but also on being lucrative. In many cases, a
minor sport is considered as unpopular or confidential. The result of this study will be
applied through a short case study, showing the example of an initially minor sport
which became today the most broadcasted sport in the world, and the Delphi method.
Based on the information collected from the literature review, four main
questions were elaborated in order to define the research question.
- How to build awareness through the very competitive sport industry for a
minor sport?
- How to attract sponsors?
- How to take advantage of the new media as a minor sport?
- How to be profitable?
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Consequently, the purpose of the present paper is to investigate whether or not
a minor player can win the sport business. If yes, which strategies he needs to take on
path.
The first part of this paper will be devoted to the minor sport itself as the
concept of non-popular sport is too vague and may be unclear or misunderstood by
people. A single definition will be developed and used through the study in order to
focus on the problematic. Moreover, some examples will be demonstrated in order to
be aware of all the opportunities that a non-traditional sport can bring. Then, a case
study concerning the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), a former minor sport will be
analyzed in order to highlight the strategies which brought the sport to the top of the
sport industry. After that, a chapter will be dedicated to the methodology adopted,
especially about the Delphi method, a qualitative method which remains little used
among the research studies. In this chapter will be also explained, how the subjects of
the study have been chosen, and how the different iterations have been prepared.
Following the analysis of the results and the discussion, the paper will finally
conclude with a couple of recommendations.
2. Why a study dedicated to the minor sport?
According to Furman and Balin (1998), a minor sport is a sport that is not as
followed or popular as major sports. Because there are so many different sports in the
world, minor sports are the one which are daily practiced but do not benefit from
media footprint. Unlike commercial sports which are able to show off their stars to the
media, minor sports are neglected because they do not support, and they are not
supported by “the routinization of sports news gathering”, as explained by Nicholson
(2007) in his book “Sport and Media, managing Nexus”.
Surfing is an example of a minor sport. Indeed, the sport is strongly dependent
on natural conditions and major competitions are scheduled over ten days. This
unpredictability is the main reason why Surfing is not a good deal for a live
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broadcasting. Media companies prioritize sports which are able to specify a broadcast
time without uncertainty (Nicholson, 2007).
2.1. Opportunities around the minor sport
Historically, the former Soviet Union, during the preparation of the Cold War,
was reluctant with every kind of sport adopting the Western capitalism culture.
However, they realized that some of these western sports could be used as a powerful
tool of cultural and political warfare. Since this moment, some „capitalistic‟ sports or
sports considered minor were developed within the Soviet Union in order to be played
in international competitions such as the Olympic Games. The objective was to gain
more medals and show to the world their superiority in sports (Westerbeek, 2003;
Smith, 2003).
In a lucrative perspective, non-popular sports have represented for a long time
a business opportunity for entrepreneurs when big-league sport were costing too much
money. When cycling was still unpopular in the United States, the entrepreneur
Robert Frazier launched a bicycle team for no more than $7.500 (Kansas, 1991). In
1995, cities already saw major benefits in minor sports events: sky diving, softball,
fencing or shuffle board events were seen as lucrative sources for souvenir-shop sales,
restaurant reservations and hotel bookings. Indeed, 4907 rooms were booked in hotels
because of the Senior Softball World Series in Orlando, with an economic impact of
1.8 million dollars. On the other hand, the World Skydiving Championship and the
National Amateur Shuffleboard Championship attracted more than 8000 people with
an economic impact of 1.6 million dollars (Mitchell, 1995).
More recently, because sponsorship costs are increasing dramatically, many
marketers are beginning to explore minor sports as potential beneficiaries of their
budgets. The London 2012 Olympics was a good opportunity to advertise sports
which do not get usually media attention in the UK (Croft, 2006). Media is the key
element for any sponsorship deal and as new media is offering greater coverage and
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higher level of exposure for any sports, experts agreed that the London 2012
Olympics was a major boost for minor sports (Cary, 2012). There were gigantic
opportunities for brands to gain value without spending enormous amount of money.
Sponsors needed to invest in minor sport in which the UK had great chance to win
medals like equestrians sports where they actually won three gold medals. Besides,
taekwondo, sailing and volleyball also gained a huge interest during the Games. The
Volleyball England website experienced an 850% increase in traffic with the
following keyword: „club finder‟ and „get into volleyball‟ (Cary, 2012).
In France, new media permitted minor sport such as Fencing to keep on track.
Indeed, the time devoted to the sport in Sport TV magazine was insignificant. Thanks
to WebTV, PPV and Internet, minor sport can now be entirely followed through the
dedicated media platforms. For example, a federation like the FFSA (Federation
Française des sports automobiles) which counts more than 60000 licensees, made a
partnership with Dailymotion in order to create a totally free WebTV dedicated to
automobile sports other than formula 1 such as Rally or Karting. The greatest asset of
the Internet is that it is able to target and satisfy the expectations of a particular niche
market (Zilbertin, 2013).
According to Westerbeek and Smith (2003), minor sports are seen today as an
alternative to traditional national sports: “The cinema, Internet, video games and the
development of other `minor' sports has cut into the market for traditional national
sports. People have become increasingly mobile and are able to choose between an
increasing number of leisure and entertainment alternatives. This trend is continuing
as many more major events and festivals in the arts and sports are conducted. The
choice between competing leisure activities has never been more demanding”
(Westerbeek & Smith, 2003). All these facts make the study of minor sports within
the sport business really interesting as the industry has experienced an economic
boom that few others sectors can match (Dunne, 2012).
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3. Case study: Ultimate Fighting Championship, the rise of the
MMA
3.1. Introduction
The modern MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) as we know today remains the most
complete martial art, which imply good striking and grappling techniques, both
standing and on the ground. The MMA was developed in North America by the
Gracie family, founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC in 1993. This
organization is the first and most important MMA promotion company in the world.
In less than twenty years, The MMA builds an incredible awareness all around the
globe and his main organization, the UFC was estimated in 2010 at more than a
billion dollars (Gregory, 2009; Osborne, 2009).
This case study shows the evolution of the MMA, from its early age to the
status of superstar in the sport industry. All strategies which permit the most complete
martial art to win the sport business are emphasized in this case study.
3.2. The rise of the MMA
At its creation in 1993, the MMA competition was held as a single-elimination
with an eight-man tournament, involving the greatest fighters of different disciplines
in order to find out the best martial art. Despite the UFC‟s early success with more
than 86.592 pay-per-view television subscribers for the first competition (Newport,
1995), the sport was banned in thirty-six states because of his lack of clear standard of
rules in 1997 (Gentry, 2001). Indeed, the MMA at that time did not have any clear set
of rules protecting fighters against tricks like hair pulling, head butting or groin
strikes. Thus, the UFC loosed its contract with major PPV distributors. Opportunities
were then clearly limited for the sport‟s growth. Consequently, the main MMA
organization decided to change some rules and increase its cooperation with state
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athletics commissions. The UFC had his first US sanctioned MMA event, under the
New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, in September 2000 (Trembow, 2006).
According to Back, Blatter and Bughin (2004), principals in
McKinsey&Company, changing rules in sport is sometimes necessary to increase
popularity and in this case, acceptance.
Under the brink of bankruptcy, the UFC was bought in 2001 for 2 million
dollars by Dana White, a boxing promoter and The Fertitta brothers, executives of
Station Casinos. They created ZUFFA LLC, a parent company controlling the UFC
and one of the Fertitta was able to secure sanctioning in the state of Nevada in 2011
through his relationships (Schorn, 2006). Thus, the MMA organization made its come
back on the PPV and slowly began to regain popularity, advertising and corporate
sponsorships (Martin, 2009). Tickets revenues increased and PPV revenues became as
high as before the controversy in 1997. The UFC signed its first television deal with
FoxsportsNet in June 2002 (UFC Press Release, 2010). Although the popularity of the
MMA increased day by day, the promotion company still experienced financial loss
since 2004 (Stein, 2006). The sport was still unprofitable but was on the halfway to
win the sport business.
According to Back, et al. (2004), when a sport sees his popularity and lucrative
TV contracts increasing, it needs to adapt to a bigger business environment. Then,
hiring high executives is a solution to professionalize the sport.
In order to cope the financial loss, Zuffa took opportunity of the new media
and created in 2005, a reality-TV show called „The Ultimate Fighter‟, broadcasted
through the channel Spike TV which staged amateur MMA fighters competing for a
contract in the UFC. According to the actual president of UFC, Dana White, this
strategy saved the MMA Promotion Company. Many incremental innovations came
out after this success, Spike TV started to offer more UFC content such as „UFC
Unleashed‟ or „UFC Fight Night‟. In 2010, The UFC reached one of his highest
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audiences by attracting a famous Youtube street fighter, Kevin „Kimbo Slice‟
Ferguson, with more than 5.3 million total viewers.
According to Back, et al. (2004), Sport organizations have to steadily study the
potential of new media such as broadband, video on demand, when signing rights with
a partner for several years ahead.
This partnership with Spike TV allowed the UFC to maximize the overall
exposure for the sport of MMA as a whole, by spending a few on advertising. Indeed,
main UFC programs were diffused on Spike TV and the organization was able to
generate important sponsorship revenues through this channel. The „UFC 52‟ reached
300.000 PPV (Metlzer, 2009), „UFC 57‟ reached 410.000 PPV (Philpott, 2009) and
„UFC 66‟ reached more than one million pay-per-view buys (Trembow, 2007). In
2006, The UFC got more than 222.766.000 dollars PPV revenues in a year, which was
the PPV industry‟s record at that time, exceeding the one from both Boxing and
WWE (Trembow, 2007). In addition, in July 2007, a gambling website, Bodoglife,
specified that the betting revenues from the UFC would be higher than the one from
Boxing (Hartness, 2007).
According to Back, et al. (2004), a coherent branding is the key success for the
sale of licensed sport gear and services.
In 2008, the MMA reached the status of superstar in the sport industry. The
success of the UFC led to the creation of many others MMA promotion companies all
over the world, with their own business model in order to tackle the lead company
which was capturing more than 90% of the industry‟s revenue (Miller, 2008). In order
to expand and reach new markets, Zuffa made the acquisition of World Extreme
Cagefighting and PRIDE, respectively in December 2006 and 2007 (Associated press,
2007). The former is a Californian-based company; the latter is a Japanese-based
company, one of the main UFC competitors at that time.
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This acquisition strategy permits the UFC to build a coherent branding
aligning its image as close as possible with the MMA as a whole. For example, many
top PRIDE fighters were rebranded under the UFC name. It was a win-win strategy
both for the MMA and the UFC.
According to Back, et al. (2004), a sport needs to be flexible on the calendar of
events by being able to change or create a new calendar as much as needed, in order
to capture the highest broadcast revenues possible.
To compete against its challengers, the UFC was offering free television
program at the same time than other MMA organization programs in order to capture
their audiences and revenues.
Back, Blatter and Bughin (2004) mentioned also that building partnership
between sport and companies from gear, beverage or sport equipment can benefit to
sport organizations, athletes and attract sponsorship. Today, the UFC has many
contracts in marketing partnerships according to his image such as, Affliction in
apparel, Bud light in beverage, TapouT in sport equipment, Harley Davidsons, EA,
U.S Marines and many others.
Each sport needs to develop and promote super athletes in order to maximize
sport exposure and overall sport benefit. In the MMA industry, many success stories
came from that strategy. Moreover, when a sport mature locally, it needs to reach new
markets (Back et al., 2004). The UFC broke into the Mexican Boxing market by
developing two Mexican super fighters, Cain Velasquez and Roger Huerta. The same
success came to United Kingdom with the rising of the English-born fighter, Michael
Bisping. Strikeforce, another MMA organization, signed in 2009 the number one-
ranked fighter at that time, Fedor Emelianenko, which brought more than 5.5 million
viewers (Hunt, 2009). To confirm his strategy to win the worldwide sport business,
the UFC expanded into Portugal and signed a Chinese TV deal in June 2009 (Stein,
2009; Show, 2009). Later, on July 2009, The UFC signed a contract with Grupo
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Televisa S.A.B, the largest Spanish speaking media company in the world
(Samuelson, 2009). Nonetheless, Flash entertainment, an Abu Dhabi-based company
bought 10 percent stake of Zuffa LLC in 2010. Consequently, the UFC built in Abu
Dhabi a new arena for hosting major UFC events (Cofield, 2010).
According to Back, Blatter and Bughin (2004), sport needs to continuously
consider innovative approaches which can emphasize excitement, distinctiveness in
order to reach new profit. In 2009, the UFC diversified its portfolio by releasing „UFC
Undisputed‟, a video game in partnership with THQ. On the other hand, Strikeforce
organized the first MMA female championship broadcasted on cable in June 2009
(Hunt, 2009).
3.3. Conclusion
The MMA is definitely winning the sport business. In less than twenty years,
The MMA became one of the most viewed sports in the world, overtaking boxing in
the sport combat industry. According to the UFC‟s Chief Executive Officer, Dana
White, the success of the MMA mainly came from the fact that the sport is easy to
follow in media devices, people just get combat sports. Moreover, the MMA was
strongly using social media in order to promote fighters and its profile around the
world. The UFC was offering an annual bonus pot of $240.000 for the most active
tweeters. Following this success, The IMMAF (International Mixed Martial Arts
Federation) was founded the 29th
February 2012 to further the development and
recognition of the sport (Evans, 2012). In 2009, Standard and Poor‟s rated Zuffa LLC,
the parent company of the UFC with a BB- grade, stable but without investment grade
(Standard and Poor‟s, 2009). Indeed, despite its continuous growth, the sport
organization started to be profitable only from 2006, mostly thanks to a successful
PPV strategy in the home market. In 2009, the UFC‟s gross PPV revenues were about
$362 millions in which the company retained nearly 60% while the rest went to the
broadcaster (Evans, 2012). Nevertheless, if winning the sport business takes into
account the fact to be popular and profitable, the MMA is definitively on the right
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path. This accomplishment is the result from many strategies the sport organizations
successfully drove. The MMA was able to change its rules in order to be officially
recognized as an athletic sport, MMA organizations get professionalized to handle
bigger business environment and the MMA took opportunity from the change in
technology. Moreover, MMA organizations applied coherent branding in order to
align the brand with the sport combat, calendar events were rescheduled to fully
capture the broadcast revenues, coherent marketing partnership was handled and
brought additional source of revenues, Sport endorsement was used to reach new
markets, and nevertheless, the MMA was able to consider innovative approaches such
as a feminine league in order to extend its actual portfolio.
4. Methodology
The focus of this study was to obtain information about strategies which can
enable minor sport to win, or at least to play a significant role within the business of
sport. Then, a qualitative research needed to be performed through a panel of experts
who have extensive knowledge in the sport business. Indeed, a quantitative research
would not have any meaning at all. Consequently, a classical Delphi method, which
exclusively uses open-ended questions in the initial iteration, was an attractive method
to solicit the subject‟s expertise (Hsu, 2007; Sandford, 2007). The Delphi study is a
great research tool for graduate students completing masters when the goal is to
improve understanding about problems, opportunities, solutions, or to develop
forecasts. It is a good method to use when there is a lack of information about a
problem or a phenomenon (Skulmoski, 2007; Hartman, 2007; Krahn, 2007). The lack
of research in the field of minor sports behavior within the sport industry is an ideal
opportunity to experiment the Delphi method which does not enjoy great popularity.
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4.1. Instrumentation
The Delphi study is an iterative process which involves a group of respondents
within their domain of expertise. These respondents anonymously reply to
questionnaires and successively receive feedback from the „group response‟, after
which the process repeats itself. The process stops only when the research question is
answered. The goal is to reduce the range of responses and arrive at something closer
to expert consensus. Delbecq, Van de Ven, and Gustafson (1975) consider the
consensus to be usually reached from two to four rounds. The method requires a lot of
time and energy as the accuracy of the method is depending on many factors such as
time frames for conducting and completing a study, subject selection or the possibility
of low response rates (Hsu, 2007; Sandford, 2007).
The Delphi method has been developed by the Rand Corporation in the 1950s,
originally to forecast the impact of technology on the Citizen life. While common
surveys try to identify what is the best solution according to a specific issue, the
Delphi technique attempts to identify the “what could/should be” by conducting
detailed examinations and discussions of a specific issue for the purpose of goal
setting, policy investigation, or predicting the occurrence of future events (Ulschak,
1983; Turoff & Hiltz, 1996; Ludwig, 1997; Miller, 2006).
According to Delbecq, et al. (1975), the Delphi technique can be used in
planning situations to achieve the following objectives: “To determine or develop a
range of possible program alternatives, to explore or expose underlying assumptions
or information leading to different judgments, to seek out information which may
generate a consensus on the part of the respondent group, to correlate informed
judgments on a topic spanning a wide range of disciplines, and to educate the
respondent group as to the diverse and interrelated aspects of the topic” (Delbecq et
al., 1975, p. 11).
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The purpose of the Delphi technique in this case was the third item mentioned
above, explicitly, to seek out information which may generate a consensus on the part
of the respondent group regarding strategies which may allow a minor sport to win the
business of sport.
According to Rowe and Wright (1999), The Delphi process compared to
classical research methods, offers three main characteristics and advantages.
Anonymity is one of the primary characteristics of the Delphi process. It permits to
reduce the effects of dominant individuals such as manipulation or coercion, which is
often a problem in a group-based process. Controlled feedback is another
characteristic the Delphi process ensures in order to inform the subjects of the other
participant‟s perspectives. It provides them the opportunity to clarify or change their
views. Finally, the use of statistical analysis technique is a characteristic of the Delphi
which allows for an objective and impartial analysis and summarization of the
collected data.
4.2. Subjects
The selection of the candidates is a crucial step in the Delphi process because
it relates directly to the quality of the results generated. Delbecq, Van de Ven and
Gustafson (1975) suggest that ten to fifteen participants is enough if the domain of
expertise of the Delphi subjects is homogeneous. However, if the group has different
background and by definition is more heterogeneous, Witkin and Altschuld (1995)
suggest that more participants are needed in order to collect consistent information.
Nevertheless, the panel of experts should not exceed more than fifty subjects.
In this case, after thorough brainstorming with Prof. Adriaensens and Prof.
Vandeputte, a panel of twenty-four experts in the field of sport was initiated. The term
„expert‟ was assumed by the fact that the potential respondents were exercising their
functions in the sport industry for many years. The panel was by purpose very
heterogeneous as it was composed of participants with many different positions and
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background in the sport industry. Among the panel of experts, the major pie was
involved in the research & education industry with 44%. The other two important
segments were non-profit organizations such as the IOC with 17%, and sport
marketing & advertising with 13%. Following that, 9% of the experts were involved
in sport journalism, 9% also in media & communication, 4% in sport management and
finally 4% in politics. Besides, 75% of the subjects chosen for the Delphi method
were Belgian, which may not allow generalizing the result of this study. The rest of
the sample was divided as follow, 17% were other European citizens and 8% came
from other horizons. Last but not least, 17% of the potential participants involved
were women, which show the growing interest of the feminine body toward the sport
industry.
4.3. Data collection
The initial round of the Delphi method, accompanied with a questionnaire and
an introduction letter explaining the study in French and English, was sent by email to
the twenty-four experts in the sport industry. They were first assured of complete
anonymity, then encouraged to take part of the study. No financial compensation was
offered but the respondents were ensured to receive the final result of the paper and
were kindly invited to assist at the defense of the thesis. Three weeks after the initial
mailing, seven questionnaires were returned, four experts were not able to take part of
the study, and the others remained silent. After the analysis of the first round Delphi, a
second mailing immediately followed, engaging the respondents to review the
answers of the group response. In total, seven experts participated to the whole Delphi
study yielding a return rate of 29.16%. Two rounds Delphi were necessary in order to
reach a group consensus concerning the overall problematic of the study. A consensus
can be defined in many ways. However, for the perspective of this study, the
consensus definition of Green (1982) was used: he suggests that on a four point
Likert-scale, 70 percent of Delphi participants need to have a score of 3 or higher and
the median has to reach 3.25 or higher. Because this study required a five point
Likert-scale, a small computation permitted to find the value needed to reach the
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consensus in this case. Then, 70 percent of the Delphi subjects need a score of 3.75 or
higher and the median has to be at 4 or higher. Descriptive statistics were used for the
analysis of the study, measures of central tendency such as means, median, coupled
with measures of level of dispersion such as standard deviation, were used in order to
present the collective judgments of the respondents.
4.4. First round Delphi
The initial questionnaire was constructed in accordance of the gap found in the
literature review concerning minor sports in the sport business. The questionnaire was
designed in order to subsequently engage the experts to the four main questions which
entail the problematic of the thesis. Mr. Adriaensens and Mr. Vandeputte reviewed the
questionnaire to face and verify clarity, which consisted of 10 open-ended questions
(Annexe 9.1). For the complete understanding of the study by the panel of experts, a
short description of the Delphi method and some basic assumptions were attached to
the questionnaire. Before starting, the participants needed to be aware that winning
the sport business emphasized two dimensions, the popularity and the profitability.
Moreover, a sport is considered as major if it occupied the major pie of market share
in the global sport industry. In Europe, Football, Cycling and Tennis are major sports.
At the global level, Football and NFL are major sports and it was assumed that each
sport, minor or major, is held at least by one federation or sport organization. On the
other hand, it was mentioned that global sports are sport which got a global awareness
and presence such as Olympic sports.
First, the respondents were asked to give their own definition of minor or non-
popular sports. Second, they were asked to determine what an attractive sport is and
which could be the factors to be used to determine if a sport is attractive or not. The
third item asked the experts to give examples of minor winning sport and major non-
winning sports they know. The next question asked the respondents to give incentives
for minor sports to attract and convince sponsors. Then, they were asked the
possibilities of a sport to achieve its market potential and show off the challenges
21
translating a sport‟s popularity into revenues. The participants were then asked to
indicate the most efficient way to increase popularity through new media at the lowest
cost possible. The next item asked the respondents whether a going global strategy or
a growing local strategy was the best for a minor sport. According to the global
decrease in TV viewing and sport-TV viewing in Europe, except during Olympic
Games or major Football events, the participants were asked to indicate alternatives
that a minor sport should use to increase its awareness as TV was not considered as a
good investment over the long term. Finally, because in some sort the sport business
is becoming a buyer‟s market as broadcasters and sponsors request sport games to be
tailored to their needs, the panel of experts was asked whether or not there was an
opportunity for minor sport in improving their individual competitiveness by
comparing what successful rivals have done.
4.5. Second round Delphi
The second part of the Delphi study consisted on an online survey involving
the participants of the first round to review the answers of the group response
(Annexe 9.2). Indeed, for each question, the respondents were asked to rate each
statement given by the individual expert on a five point scale, one being “strongly
disagree” to five being “strongly agree” with a neutral middle option to avoid a forced
choice. This scale permits to avoid the extreme responses and the risk of
unrealistically favorable answers. Moreover, the respondents had the possibility below
each question to add comment or change their initial answer from the first round
Delphi.
5. Analysis and discussion
5.1. Results of the first round Delphi
22
Many different interesting answers came out from the panel of experts.
Regarding the meaning of a minor or non-popular sport, the group response defined a
minor sport as a sport with few participants, no spectator on site and virtually and no
media attention. Thus, non-Olympic sports, sports ignored by the public or not
practiced in school belonged also to this category. On the other hand, if the popularity
of a sport is based on the ability to generate profit through sport business activities, a
minor sport is a sport which is unable to generate substantial income through its
activities. Another way pointed out by the experts to define a minor sport is to
determine if the number of people who practice the sport or who belong to the
dedicated federation is below a certain percentage of the population.
Concerning the factors which determine the attractiveness of a sport, many
ideas came out of the group response. An attractive sport is a sport able to evolve,
able to adapt its competition format, equipment, communication and rules to the
expectations of the spectators. An attractive sport is a sport which can be easily put on
screens, followed on television, smartphones and all media devices. The attractiveness
of a sport needs to be analyzed through many different aspects such as the athlete
perspective, the spectator perspective or the media perspective. Moreover, for a sport
to be attractive, it needs to be part of a nationalism effect, the presence of big names
or winning team within the country will allow the sport to gain attraction toward the
public. On the other hand, some experts defined each sport as attractive in its own
rights as otherwise it would not exist.
The following question asked the respondents to give examples of minor
winning sport and major non-winning sport. Archery, windsurfing, speed skating,
cyclo cross, hockey, taekwondo, short track, ice-skating in long distance,
snowboarding and snooker were quoted as minor winning sport. It is important to
notice that many Olympic sports are still considered as minor by the group response.
Instead of that, the experts considered table tennis, badminton, volley, equestrians,
swimming, sailing, alpine skiing, weightlifting, field hockey and kayak as major non-
23
winning sports. One exception came out with the consideration that all major sports
are winning in some areas, as they are major.
Relating to the possible solutions for minor sports to attract and convince
sponsor, many extensive solutions around a common idea were given by the group
response. A minor sport need to focus on being in a niche that corresponds with the
expectation of the sponsor, a SWOT analysis can be made in order to find the right
sponsor. The main idea is to identify a unique brandship between commercial brands
and the sport, sharing the same values in term of mission, vision, ambition and
strategy. Minor sports need to focus on their own specificities which can attract a
particular group of people by their unique image spread. Another solution given by
the panel of experts is to use the endorsement of celebrities or bet on future
champions, sportsmen or sportswomen doing well in the sport. Targeting television
mediatization or making effort in attracting children in the specific sport are other
solutions for a minor sport to attract sponsors pointed out by the group response.
Concerning the problematic of translating the popularity of the sport into
revenues, experts answered by the fact that the governing body of the minor sport
needs to develop a qualitative communication through various media.
Professionalizing the environment by investing on motivated youngsters,
experimented managers and marketers is the main incentive given by the panel of
experts for minor sport to achieve its market potential. The more the sport will
become popular through media sponsorship, the more it will be able to achieve its
market potential. If the first solution remains a huge investment for the sport
organization, some alternatives with lower cost can be used such as attracting
volunteers or professionals to invest some effort into marketing the sport through
exhibitions with low entry fee or free entry at first. However, many challenges remain
in translating the sport‟s popularity into revenues. Experts pointed out the tight market
and strong competition within the world of sport and within the world of amusements
in general. The strong competition among minor sports to find media sponsorships,
unlike major sports which get no matters to be mediatized, there are more and more
24
minor sports showing off in order to get the deal. Finally, another point of view claims
the challenges in translating the sport popularity into revenues as similar as other
products when the goal is to compete for market share.
New media is also an interesting way for minor sport to increase its popularity
in a low cost. According to the panel of experts, social networks, fan pages or WebTV
are the best and cheaper way to attract major sponsors because it offers visibility. New
media is the lowest cost and it is represented and developed by the new generation of
youngsters, then, the solution for minor sports is to invest on them. Through new
media, sports can form their own media platforms targeting fans and athletes. As a
minor sport, it needs firstly to brainstorm and then focus on a coherent content to
diffuse before breaking through the Web 2.0. The objective is not to be just part of a
buzz or ephemeral but to have a long term perspective with a solid plan, the minor
sport needs to be careful, minimize cost and aim well with a strong message. Last but
not least, the popularity can be optimized by finding a young market and new media
savvy marketing professionals with a passion for sport, able to link the opportunities
of new mass media and social media in promoting sports that have limited budget.
According to the question about alternatives that minor sport should use to
increase its awareness regarding the decline of TV viewing, experts advised to create
a competition format that is attractive for youth and spend much more time on social
media with a good strategy. Indeed, when viewership is falling, it simply means that
viewers have other or more options and the competition is increasing. The alternatives
are smart marketing solutions and the minor sport need to invest on making to sport
viewable on these new media devices. Another alternative given by the group
response is to become an Olympic sport as TV viewing for Olympic Games is
constantly increasing. Then, the minor sport needs to comply with the criteria and
rules of the International Olympic Committee.
Finally, the last question asked if there was an opportunity for minor sport by
comparing what successful rivals have done, regarding the fact that sports business is
25
becoming a buyer‟s market in which broadcasters and sponsors not only resist any
increase in price but also insist that games be tailored to their needs. The group
response agreed on this point by saying that such an action would increase its
visibility. A successful minor sport needs to focus on the potentials of creating its own
media platform digitally, engage and involve through social media and activate
sponsors likewise. Moreover, it needs to know its audience better by looking into a
better future and by considering alternative offering that play into the future needs of
the consumers. The panel of experts confirms by suggesting that copying is an
opportunity for minor sport because you don‟t have to reinvent anything and you can
avoid the mistake made by rivals. Moreover, the American model is used as an
example as the most successful sports in the country are sport able to change and
evolve with the society and which are initiated, developed and promoted only from
colleges and universities. On other hand, some experts pointed out the fact that the
opportunity will remain as long as the sport does not sell his soul. If the sport decides
to make some changes according to the sponsor‟s needs, it has to be well prepared
internally to have the consent of all or most of its members and practitioners. Made it
wrong, the sport can disappear along with the change of the marketing strategy of the
sponsor concerned. Sport is a cultural phenomenon; as such it has to keep his specific
values. Furthermore, this is not always possible to gain from copying successful rivals
if the idea is to follow sports-competitions as they happen. Minor sports will need to
broadcast on sports-devoted channels and to schedule their championships and/or
competitions during periods where the most major sports are not being played.
5.2. Results of the second round Delphi
The table presented on the next page displays for each question, the median
and the percentage of experts rating the answer with 4 or higher. All answers which
reached the consensus are highlighted. According to the result of the second round
Delphi, it can be seen that no consensus has been reached for the question 4, 6, 7, 8,
and 9. However, it does not have a real incidence for the study as the main
problematic of the paper is answered through the others questions. The possible
26
reasons of a non-consensus will be discussed further on the paper. For now, the
analysis will only focus on the questions in which some answers have been validated
by the experts.
Q1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7
rate>=4 100,00% 28,57% 0,00% 28,57% 14,29% 14,29% 42,86%
median 4,00 3,00 2,00 2,00 3,00 2,00 3,00
Q2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9
rate>=4 100,00% 71,43% 85,71% 42,86% 42,86% 57,14% 42,86% 57,14% 28,57%
median 4,00 4,00 4,00 3,00 3,00 4,00 3,00 4,00 2,00
Q3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5
rate>=4 57,14% 85,71% 57,14% 71,43% 42,86%
median 4,00 4,00 4,00 4,00 3,00
Q4 4.1 4.2 4.3
rate>=4 28,57% 42,86% 42,86%
median 3,00 3,00 3,00
Q5 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5
rate>=4 71,43% 85,71% 71,43% 71,43% 57,14%
median 4,00 4,00 4,00 4,00 4,00
Q6 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4
rate>=4 57,14% 14,29% 42,86% 42,86%
median 4,00 3,00 3,00 3,00
Q7 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5
rate>=4 57,14% 42,86% 0,00% 42,86% 28,57%
median 4,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00
Q8 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 8.10
rate>=4 14,29% 28,57% 28,57% 14,29% 42,86% 14,29% 28,57% 14,29% 42,86% 28,57%
median 2,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00
Q9 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13
rate>=4 14,29% 14,29% 28,57% 14,29% 42,86% 28,57% 42,86% 28,57% 42,86% 14,29% 28,57% 28,57% 14,29%
median 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00
Q10 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6
rate>=4 71,43% 71,43% 42,86% 71,43% 42,86% 14,29%
median 4,00 4,00 3,00 4,00 3,00 2,00
Q11 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5
rate>=4 57,14% 42,86% 71,43% 28,57% 57,14%
median 4,00 3,00 4,00 3,00 4,00
Q12 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 12.9
rate>=4 28,57% 14,29% 57,14% 85,71% 0,00% 57,14% 42,86% 28,57% 42,86%
median 3,00 3,00 4,00 4,00 3,00 4,00 3,00 3,00 3,00
27
Regarding the first question, all the experts agreed with the answer 1.1, which
said that a minor or non-popular sport is a sport with few participants, no spectator on
site and virtually, and no media attention. This definition complete the one mentioned
by Furman and Balin (1998) during the literature review focusing only on the no
media footprint. It is non-negligible to say that the totality of the experts rated this
answers with a minimum score of 4 out of 5 and with a low standard deviation of
0.38. It means that the panel of expert is confident about its opinion and the answer
can be validated.
Concerning the second question, the three first answers, 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3, have
reached the consensus. The experts agreed with a unanimity score of 4 out of 5 that a
minor sport needs to focus on being in a niche that corresponds with the expectations
of sponsors in order to attract and convince them. In this case, the sport has a role of
buyer and needs to comply and tailor its game with the expectation of the sponsor.
This answer can be related with the question 12 asking the experts how minor
sports can take opportunity of a situation in which the sport is a buyer‟s market by
improving their individual competitiveness by comparing what successful rivals have
done. Only the answer 12.4 has reached the consensus; experts believe that a minor
sport needs to know its audience better, by looking into a better future, and by
considering alternative offering that play into the future needs and expectations of
consumers in order to win the sport business. In the book “Sport Business in Global
Marketplace”, Westerbeek and Smith (2003) agreed on the fact that opportunities do
exist for minor sports which have communities of fans and add the following: “It is
still the inherent attractiveness of the core sport product that determines whether
people are entertained. If smaller sports do not add value to their existing product in
an effort to draw traffic to their site or interactive/pay television program, then sport
consumers will remain loyal to the `big' sports which have already proved they
provide the best content and value to their viewers”. Westerbeek and Smith (2003)
stressed the importance for minor sports to be innovative in technology compared to
the traditional sports and wrote that: “they must understand the trends in the market
28
and the best ways to meet the needs of their customers and other potential consumers.
Broadband will take the television medium from local to global, and interactive
features will allow sport fans to be drawn into the sport experience and consequently
become more involved with the sport organization”.
Rolling back to the second question, the experts agreed also with the answer
2.3 which said that the minor sport needs to identify first, the profile of its target
market and then, the sponsor which get interest on that market. It is contradictory with
the answer 2.1 as in this case, the sport has the dominant position. It is assumed that
several sponsors are knocking on the doors of the minor sport federation and the sport
organization can choose among different offers. This strategy can be risky for the
minor sport federation because nothing guarantee a contract with a sponsor and then,
a huge opportunity to win the sport business can be missed. The third consensus is
reached on the answer 2.2, the experts agreed on the fact that a minor sport needs to
perform a SWOT analysis in relation to the sponsor targeted.
A success story has been mentioned in the Sport Event Denmark Magazine,
the FITA (The International Archery Federation) has taken a great initiative in order
to attract sponsor other than the ones mentioned by the panel of experts. Indeed, in
2005, the Archery federation had difficulties to attract sponsors. In response to this
challenge, the FITA created a World Cup taking part over the whole year with a series
of five huge events. According to Juan-Carlos Holgado (2009), this mega tournament
offered the following new attractive elements to the sport: “a good story that brought
attention to our sport all year long. It brought us to new levels of consistency in event
production as we took a hands on approach to working with our host cities, and it
provided flexibility in terms of our rules and event venues allowing our host cities to
build an exciting show”. This initiative permitted the Archery to attract new sponsors.
The third question has seen two consensuses, respectively for the answer 3.2
and 3.4. The latter said that a sport can achieve its market potential if the sport is able
to raise its popularity through media sponsorship. Indeed, if a sport owns a media
29
sponsorship deal, the sport will be broadcasted through different media devices, gain
popularity and then, be able to transform its popularity into revenues through the
broadcasting takings. By performing this cycle more and more, the sport may achieve
its market potential. Regarding the answer 3.2, the panel of experts agreed also that a
good strategy for a sport to achieve its market potential is by professionalizing the
environment with experimented managers and marketers. This strategy complies with
one study of the CSIRO, an Australian research organization which analyzed the
megatrends shaping the sports sector over coming decades. It has been said that the
sport industry will continue to grow firmly during the next years, supported by
lucrative television broadcasting, sponsorships and spectator interest. Then, it is
quoted that “sporting bodies will need highly-skilled management personnel in order
to retain or maximize market share in an increasingly competitive environment”
(CSIRO, 2013). The AFL (Australian Football League) is a good example of an
efficient governing body; the federation is governed by the AFL Commission
including one CEO and eight Commissioners. Moreover, a professional
administration of the AFL is focused on five key segments: Football Operations &
Finance, Commercial Operations, Game Development, Corporate Affairs &
Communication, and Administration (McMillan, 2011).
Besides, according to an interview of Thierry Zintz in Le Soir magazine,
another idea still on the optic of professionalizing the sport environment would be to
see a partnership of three or four small federations in order to have a performing and
professional governing body. It would permit them to evolve by beneficiating of a
stronger expertise (Le Soir, 2013).
The fifth question related the opportunity of new media in raising popularity at
low cost and 4 consensuses out of 5 have been reached. The experts agreed that new
media which encompass social networks, fan pages or WebTV, is the best and
cheapest way to attract major sponsors because it offers visibility (5.1). Lundov
(2010) argued that: “Digital media, and the Internet in general, is able to provide the
fastest, easiest, most cost-efficient way to distribute information and/or create
30
awareness for events”. Today, new media is a great instrument for influencing and
manipulating the consumers‟ perceptions and through this new propaganda tool; sport
organizations can valorize their assets such as licensing, sponsorship and broadcasting
rights. This valorization will continue to increase significantly with the constant
“deregulation of the media sector and the unifying effect of new technology”
(Westerbeek & Smith, 2003). Then, still according to the panel of experts, each sport
should form their own media platforms in order to target fans and athletes (5.2). New
media permits minor sports to capture niche markets across national boundaries; this
is the case of Surfing which offers free live broadcasting exclusively through its
sponsor websites (Nicholson, 2007). The two other answers having reached the
consensus are the answer 5.3 and 5.4. It respectively says that the most efficient way
to increase popularity for a minor sport is to find a young market and new media
savvy marketing professionals with a passion for sport in order to link the
opportunities of new mass media and social media to promote sports that have limited
budget (5.3). The latter argues that, the best solution is to invest on the generation of
youngsters as the new media is brought and daily used by them. Indeed the generation
X was growing with the new media and they are the pioneers of extreme or alternative
sports such as skateboarding, BMX or rock-climbing. As these minor sports are often
neglected on television and most often broadcasted on internet, it is important for the
minor sport‟s governing body to prioritize the youngsters as a target for a niche
market, as they use to watch their favorites sport via streaming or WebTV. Indeed,
according to the study of CSIRO, these extreme sports are on way to become
mainstream, an example was seen in 2008 with the introduction of the BMX to the
Olympic Games in Beijing (CSIRO, 2013). In addition, one third of the total
employment in the sport sector in Australia is represented by youngsters aged from 15
to 24 years, which is a non-negligible market (CSIRO, 2013).
These answers have a direct incidence with the question 11 questioning the
panel experts about the cause of the decrease in the number of sports TV viewers and
the possible alternative for minor sports to raise awareness. Indeed, the respondents
all approved with the answer 11.3, affirming that the alternatives are smart marketing
31
solutions. When TV viewership is falling, it simply means that viewers have more or
alternative viewing options and the competition is increasing. Then, minor sports need
to focus new media and invest on making the sport viewable on the new media
devices. Indeed, people are using more and more smartphones in order to be
entertained and get informed about what is happening around the world. It represents
then a huge opportunity for sports broadcasting in “keeping people informed about
sporting events and building communities around sports” (Telstra, 2011). New media
is creating opportunities and changing the relation between the sport and the
consumer by allowing a unique engagement with a sporting event that has never been
possible before. For example, consumers have the possibility today through websites
such as „Map My Ride‟, to virtually ride next to the professional cyclists during the
Tour de France, and then, compare the result with the participants or other fellows
(CSIRO, 2013).
Relating to the incentives for sport organizations to increase the attractiveness
of sports to consumers, broadcasters, and sponsors while also realizing their
commercial value discussed on question 10, the answers 10.1, 10.2 and 12.4 have
reached the consensus. The first answer says that sport organizations need to focus on
added value. In every sort of business, the key is to offer the consumer an experience
in which they can connect both socially and emotionally. The experience, as much as
the product, is the differentiator that makes customers purchase again and again. The
sport industry is working the same, the fan does not attend the game just for the game,
but wish to be part of a lifestyle surrounding the sport which combines different
things such as; sport, music, food, new media, fashion, etc. (Lundov, 2009). The two
other answers agreed by the experts emphasize the fact that sport organizations may
use the marketing mix to optimize their offering. It means that sporting rules
according to the media can be modified to make the sport easier to watch, easier to
play, more spectacular, more accessible, cheaper, easier to promote, etc. With the
constant growth of the entertainment industry, sport cannot afford to be static. Recent
years have given plenty of alternative formats of sport such as beach tennis,
PowerPlay Golf or „Twenty 20‟ cricket, in order to comply with the new TV format
32
and provide more exciting spectacle for fans and attract new audiences (SportBusiness
International, 2013). According to the CSIRO (2013), some sporting bodies have
already started to change their game rules, to suit with modern audiences and offer a
better customer experience through more entertaining games.
5.3. Possible reasons of a non-consensus
The table below displays for each question, the standard deviation and the
number of experts rating the answer respectively with a 3 for a neutral opinion, a 1 for
a strong disagreement and a 5 for a strong agreement. All these information may give
an idea about why consensus has not been reached during the second round Delphi.
All answers which reached the consensus are highlighted.
Q1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7
Stand. Dev. 0,38 1,07 1,00 1,27 1,25 1,11 1,21
Nb of "neutral" 0 3 3 1 3 2 1
Nb of "strongly disagree" 0 0 3 2 3 2 1
Nb of "strongly agree" 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Q2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9
Stand. Dev. 0,00 0,95 0,58 0,95 0,79 1,11 1,15 0,53 1,27
Nb of "neutral" 0 1 1 4 4 2 2 3 1
Nb of "strongly disagree" 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2
Nb of "strongly agree" 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0
Q3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5
Stand. Dev. 0,79 0,58 0,79 1,27 1,07
Nb of "neutral" 2 1 2 1 3
Nb of "strongly disagree" 0 0 0 1 1
Nb of "strongly agree" 0 1 0 1 0
Q4 4.1 4.2 4.3
Stand. Dev. 0,49 0,98 0,76
Nb of "neutral" 5 3 3
Nb of "strongly disagree" 0 0 0
Nb of "strongly agree" 0 1 0
Q5 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5
Stand. Dev. 0,95 0,69 0,69 1,07 0,90
Nb of "neutral" 1 2 2 1 3
Nb of "strongly disagree" 0 0 0 0 0
Nb of "strongly agree" 1 1 1 2 2
33
Q6 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4
Stand. Dev. 1,27 0,90 1,25 1,21
Nb of "neutral" 2 5 3 1
Nb of "strongly disagree" 1 1 1 1
Nb of "strongly agree" 1 0 1 0
Q7 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5
Stand. Dev. 1,40 1,07 0,95 1,25 1,07
Nb of "neutral" 2 3 4 3 3
Nb of "strongly disagree" 1 1 2 1 1
Nb of "strongly agree" 2 0 0 1 0
Q8 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 8.10
Stand. Dev. 0,98 0,82 0,69 0,98 0,98 0,58 0,69 0,69 0,98 1,25
Nb of "neutral" 2 3 4 3 3 5 4 4 3 3
Nb of "strongly disagree" 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nb of "strongly agree" 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2
Q9 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13
Stand. Dev. 0,69 0,69 1,15 0,58 0,76 0,49 0,98 0,95 0,98 1,13 0,90 0,79 0,95
Nb of "neutral" 4 4 2 5 3 5 3 4 3 4 2 5 4
Nb of "strongly disagree" 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1
Nb of "strongly agree" 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0
Q10 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6
Stand. Dev. 0,90 0,69 0,53 0,49 0,76 1,21
Nb of "neutral" 2 2 4 2 3 2
Nb of "strongly disagree" 0 0 0 0 0 3
Nb of "strongly agree" 3 1 0 0 0 0
Q11 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5
Stand. Dev. 0,76 0,76 0,82 1,00 0,98
Nb of "neutral" 3 3 2 4 2
Nb of "strongly disagree" 0 0 0 1 0
Nb of "strongly agree" 1 0 2 0 1
Q12 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 12.9
Stand. Dev. 0,69 0,98 0,53 0,38 0,38 0,79 0,76 0,49 1,15
Nb of "neutral" 4 3 3 1 6 2 3 5 2
Nb of "strongly disagree" 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Nb of "strongly agree" 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Regarding the standard deviation, it can be seen that the ones with the
consensus reached is generally lower than the ones without consensus. When the
consensus is reached, the SD is most often below 1, on the other hand, when the
consensus is not reached, the SD is generally above or close below 1. The answers
adopted by the panel of experts have an average SD of 0.7 and the average SD of the
answers rejected by the experts is 0.91. It means there is divergence more important
among the opinions of the respondents and this is why these answers have not been
adopted.
34
Moreover, it can be seen that the number of neutral opinions is much higher
for the answers non-adopted than the answers adopted by the panel of experts,
respectively with an average of 3.1 against 1.3. It means that there is an average of 3
neutral opinions per each answer in which the consensus has not been reached.
Neutral opinions may be explained by three different hypotheses: nonchalance,
ignorance, or incomprehension. Firstly, some experts rated their own answers with a
neutral score or lower; this can be the result of nonchalance or a change in the mind of
the expert. According to the survey, 83 different answers have been given by the
experts, 55 have been confirmed through the second round, 20 have changed into
neutral and 8 have changed radically. It means that only 66% of the answers given
have remained stable through the different iterations, 24% moved to neutral and 10%
of the respondents have changed drastically their opinions. However, only 3 weeks
separated the first and the second round Delphi. Envisaging the experts shifting their
own opinions after such few weeks is not rational and then, the nonchalance of the
expert may be the reason. Secondly, it can be assumed that the expert does not know
the answer; the question can be out of his expertise. Thirdly, the expert may not
understand the answer of the other candidates and the only solution is to adopt the
neutral rating.
Besides, non-adopted answers have been logically influenced by the number
of experts responding with a „strongly disagree‟ rating. The average is respectively
0.06 for the answers with consensus and 0.55 for the ones without consensus. Most
often, when an answer is rated with one or more „strongly disagree‟, the answer is
directly non-considered, one exception comes from the answer 3.4.
Last but not least, there is in average one „strongly agree‟ rating for each
answer adopted against 0.34 for the ones not taken into account. This is logical
considering the method in which the consensus has been defined.
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6. Conclusion
This study was one of the first in the sport literature focusing on minor sports
within the sport industry and was designed to explore whether or not, a non-popular
sport can win or become a significant player within a competitive market such as the
sport business. The analysis of the case study concerning the Mixed Martial Arts and
the Delphi survey allowed the resolution of the four main questions elaborated in
order to answer the main problematic of this research paper.
One of these questions asked how a minor sport may build awareness within
the very competitive sport industry; exploiting the new media was the main answer
claimed by the respondents through the study. This answer links us directly to one
another problematic of the paper, relating the possibilities for a minor sport to take
advantage of the new media as a minor sport.
The MMA became today the most broadcasted sport in the world because it
was able to strongly promote itself through the new media and social networks.
According to the Delphi study, a minor sport can take advantage of the new media in
three different ways; by creating its own media platform in order to target and attract
audiences, by finding a niche market and hire new media professionals passionate by
the sport to link these two spheres, and by investing in youngsters as they have grown
up with the new media and are the pioneers of the future mainstream sports. New
media is the cheapest way to raise popularity and offers then an interesting strategy
for sport with limited budget.
Moreover, in its early age, the MMA changed its rules to be officially
recognized as an athletic sport and easily followed in television and media devices.
The UFC took also opportunity from the change in technology by offering live
broadcast through WebTV and PPV. This accomplishment is shared with the experts
as they stressed out the fact that sporting rules need to change according to the
36
capabilities of the medias in order to offer more entertaining contents. This strategy
can certainly enhance the awareness of a minor sport as innovative approaches are
always welcome by the audience.
Regarding the case study, The UFC gets professionalized to handle bigger
business environment and gain expertize. This achievement is also shared by the
respondents as they argued to engage experimented managers and marketers within
the governing body in order for the minor sport to achieve its potential.
The third problematic examined the possible ways for a minor sport to attract
sponsors. To do so, the federation of the main MMA organization applied a coherent
branding to align the brand with the sport combat, which permitted to reach different
marketing partnerships well-suited to its image. On the other hand, the experts
claimed that a minor sport needs to handle a SWOT analysis in relation to the sponsor
targeted. It is important to be part of a niche market that interest sponsors or
correspond with the expectation of the sponsors.
Finally, to answer to the last problematic, if a minor sport is able to put in
practice all the different strategies mentioned above, it will soon or later become
popular, profitable and then, able to claim a significant pie of market share within the
sport business industry.
The study exploited a method which has yet to be used in the sport literature.
This research paper provided some evidence that the Delphi method is beneficial to
use in this kind of topic as it provides interesting opinions and solutions from very
competent persons in the industry, worth to be taken into account and practiced into
the field. Future research should further exploit this method with additional
instruments in order to produce generalizable results.
37
7. Further Recommendation
It might be interesting in future research, to analyze the result of the Delphi
study by segmentation, such as by industry or sex of the participants. Indeed, all the
experts involved in this Delphi study do not come from the same industry and the
analysis within each different group in order to find a correlation may be appreciated.
Moreover, the segmentation by sex would be interesting as sport industry has been
more masculine for many years. The analysis of the women‟s opinions toward the
subject studied may be valuable as women‟s sports are gaining more and more
interest. However, the panel of experts in this case was too small and the result would
not be reliable for both of the recommendations above. Future research may be
investigated with a larger and more international panel of experts in order to confirm
or complete the result found by this study.
Besides, as mentioned above, some of the experts were not reliable in the
sense that they were rating their own answers with a low score. Then, it may be also a
good idea to use a consensus emphasized by Scheibe, Skutsch, and Schofer (1975),
revealing that the use of metrics is wrong. Indeed, a more reliable way to validate a
consensus is to measure the stability of the participant‟s responses through the
successive iterations. In this case, three or more round Delphi may be requested.
Finally, enormously mentioned and analyzed through this Delphi study, a
research exclusively dedicated to sport and new media may be interesting to be
explored, as both of these industries are growing in a fast track. Future studies may
enrich the body of literature in both new media and sport, a world that people
involved in this industry use to call the „Sportainement‟.
38
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9. Annexes
9.1. The questionnaire
See at the end of the page, a short explanation about the Delphi Research methodology
The main question I would like to answer through the Delphi method:
“How to win the sport business when you are a minor sport”
(A David versus Goliath game)
Assumptions:
Considering that winning sport business is not based only on popularity,
attracting players but also on being financially sound, in many cases a small
sport is considered as unpopular or confidential.
Major sports are sports which occupied the major pie of market share in the
global sport industry. In Europe, Football, Cycling and Tennis are major
sports. At the global level, Football and NFL are major sports.
Global sports are sport which got a global awareness and presence.
We assume that a major sport is held at least by one promotion federation (ex:
ATP for tennis, FIFA for football…)
Objective:
- How to build awareness through the very competitive sport industry for a
minor sport?
- How to attract sponsors?
- How to take advantage of the new media as a minor sport?
- How to be profitable?
Delphi Research Methodology
The RAND organization developed the Delphi method in the 1950s, originally to
forecast the impact of technology on the Citizen life.
The method is an iterative process which entails a group of experts who anonymously
reply to questionnaires and subsequently receive feedback in the form of a statistical
representation of the "group response," after which the process repeats itself. The
process stops when the research question is answered and the goal is to reduce the
range of responses to arrive at something closer to expert consensus. The consensus is
usually reached from 2 to 4 rounds maximum. The Delphi Method has been widely
adopted and is still in use today.
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The questionnaire
- How do you consider a sport as minor or non-popular? (Please note that some
sports are very popular in one country or region but are nearly unknown is the
rest of the world – We do not consider these kinds of sports in this survey).
- What is an attractive sport and which could be the factors to be used to
determine if a sport is attractive or not (e.g.: Based on which criterions, the
CIO‟s choosing the sport present at the Olympic Games)?
- Considering that a sport is winning business when it is popular and profitable,
which minor winning sport do you know and which non-winning major sport
do you know? (Just give two or three examples)
- How minor sports can attract and convince sponsors?
- How a sport can achieves its market potential. What are the challenges
translating a sport‟s popularity into revenues.
- What sport organizations can do to increase the attractiveness of sports to
consumers, broadcasters, and sponsors while also realizing their commercial
value?
- Taken advantages of the growth of the new media. What can be the most
efficient way to increase its popularity at the lowest cost possible?
- What can be the best strategy for a minor sport to grow? Going global or
growing local?
- In Europe, the number of sports-TV viewers is falling in general (excluded
during OG or football championship). This decline potentially reduces the
level of interest in watching these sports on TV and in spending money on
them over the longer term. What can be the alternatives that minor sports
should use to increase it awareness?
- Today, in some areas the sports business is becoming a buyer‟s market in
which broadcasters and sponsors not only resist any increase in price but also
insist that games be tailored to their needs. By improving their individual
competitiveness by comparing what successful rivals have done, is there an
opportunity for minor sports?
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9.2. The online survey
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