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History of Sports and Entertainment
A Brief History of Leisure
 Sports and entertainment are leisure activities for the purpose of enjoyment.
 The growth of the sports and entertainment industries has relied on
consumers with free time; discretionary income, or money left to spend after
necessary expenses are paid; and a desire for recreation.
 In the mid-to-late 1800s, only the wealthy had the time and the discretionary
income needed to go to the theater, the ballet, horse races, and tennis
matches. The development of technology and some new inventions also
made entertainment more available to the working class.
Entertainment for Everyone
 Thanks to public transportation, by the 1890s, both wealthy and working –
class families were seeking out similar forms of entertainment.
 In the late 1890s, Thomas Edison invented the kinetoscope, a devise for
viewing a new phenomenon – moving pictures.
 The invention of the kinetoscope, also called the Vitascope, signaled the birth
of the film industry.
 Further inventions such as nickelodeon helped the entertainment industry
grow from the era of silent movies to full-sound films in 1927 when “The Jazz
Singer” premiered as the first talking movie.
 By the end of WWI in 1918, Canadian born actress Mary Pickford was the
world’s first international movie star.
 Babe Ruth set records in baseball that would stand for decades.
 Sports and entertainment become staples in everyday life through the 1920s.
 Further advances in technology in the 1950s and beyond meant that people
grew up with television, local movie theaters, sports franchises, Disneyland,
and more time and money to spend on recreations.
Development of Sports and Entertainment Marketing
 William “Bill” Veeck was a key figure in the development of sports marketing.
 In the 1940s, he owned baseball teams such as Cleveland Indians and the
Chicago White Sox.
 Veeck believed that consumers wanted to be involved in more than just the
final score.
 Veeck introduced grandstand-style entertainment to the fans (fireworks,
dazzling scoreboards, special-event nights).
 Fans enjoyed the new experiences and came to more games because Veeck
presented a more interesting “show”, or product, and sold more advertising.
Marketing Today
 Just as athletes compete for points to win and TV programs compete for
ratings, sports and entertainment vendors, or sellers of products, compete
for a share of the money people spend on recreation.
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Sports and entertainment marketing directs consumers toward sports and
entertainment products.
It’s not enough to sell tickets to a single ball game or a concert.
Marketers want to sell season tickets, have patrons return for the sequel, and
purchase goods related to that team or entertainer.
Similarities and Differences in Marketing
 Sports and entertainment are closely related, but are they the same thing?
 The status and exposure of sports stars on television, in magazines, and in
advertising are equal to, if not greater than, those of Hollywood celebrities.
 Their images are used to sell clothing, perfume, athletic shoes, cars, and even
bbq grills.
 Sports has produced a huge entertainment based industry beyond the
competition between teams (TV channels, movies, books, video games,
fashion trends, magazines).
 All of these blur the line between the sports and entertainment industries.