Sponsorship plays an instrumental role in a sports industry, the debate surrounding it has intensified. While proponents argue that monetary injections from the investors catalyze overall development of the industry, detractors, however, are not convinced and reckon that excessive monetization of the sport contradicts its core values, equity and fair play. Equally strong cases can be made for both sides, but I am disposed to believe that uncontrollable financial injections of advertisers put sport at stake, making it less entertaining and unfair.
Investments of the advertisers, on the one hand, can be a veritable boon equally for a sport and young sport clubs. First and foremost, monetary injections of the benefactors, if managed artfully, can be an invaluable tool in a dissemination of the sport culture. With the investments of the big corporations, professional athletic clubs might create opportunities and much-needed training facilities. This, as a result, would make individuals, regardless of their age, more health-conscious. Moreover, it is prudent to take into account that advertising contracts are nothing but lifeblood for developing sport projects. It is no secret that athletic clubs at their early stage of existence are often subjected to severe financial difficulties. However, with the financial support of the sponsors, the average survivability of the professional as well as semi-professional clubs would surge. For instance, the globally known brand “Fly Emirates” saved dozens of professional football clubs that were on the verge of bankruptcy, giving them a chance to prosper and regain their strength.
On the other hand, uncontrollable capital infusion into the sport may cause irreversible damage to its ethos. Primarily, it is pivotal to acknowledge that sport is not only about triumph and fierce competition but also about fair play and equality. Monetary input from the rabid sponsors, however, may erode those core values. Take the most acclaimed French football team, Paris Saint-Germain, as an example. Signing a partnership with Saudi Arabia Holding in 2009, the club veered into an advertising billboard. Furthermore, sponsorship exacerbates preexisting inequality, entrenching financial oligarchy in professional sport. The sport clubs that already enjoy success and financial prosperity might attract wealthier and more lucrative contracts, widening the chasm between world-class teams and outsiders. This, consequently, risks making the sports monotonous or less compelling, since financially mightier clubs would dominate in their leagues and cups. The club from Manchester is the prime example in this case. After a series of financial injections, Manchester City started reigning in the English Premier League, which was once the most competitive football league ever.
In conclusion, the incursion of corporate sponsorship into sports has ignited fierce debates, with some claiming that it will bring the sports to a place of no escape, others see it as an opportunity to popularize the sports culture. I wholeheartedly believe that corporate sponsorship might inflict a grave harm on values as well as on the sports in general if it is not controlled by the athletic chairmen.