Brad R. Humphreys – författare

Including an array of distinguished contributors, this novel book fills a gap in the literature by addressing an important yet under researched issue in the field of sports economics. It places great emphasis on the notion that sport is a significant component for improving the happiness, health and well-being of citizens, communities and society as a whole. In so doing, it addresses whether, in an environment of increasing pressure on public spending, governments should continue to subsidise sporting activities at the expense of other public resources.Written in a clear and accessible style, this pioneering book explores a number of specific issues including:the relationship between sport and happinessthe effect of sport on health, including the capacity of sport and exercise to reduce spending on medical expensesthe relationship between sport and productivitywhether sport as a leisure activity can improve quality of life.Innovative and original, this volume will strongly appeal to students and researchers of sport, health and welfare economics.Contributors include: C. Breuer, C. Cabane, M. Davis, P. Downward, C. End, D. Forrest, J. Garcia Villar, H. Huang, B. Humphreys, G. Kavetsos, M. Lechner, J. Leyva, I. McHale, S. Oreffice, T. Pawlowski, J. Price, C. Quintana-Domeque, S. Rasciute, J. Ruseski, N. Sari, D.H. Simon

Including an array of distinguished contributors, this novel book fills a gap in the literature by addressing an important yet under researched issue in the field of sports economics. It places great emphasis on the notion that sport is a significant component for improving the happiness, health and well-being of citizens, communities and society as a whole. In so doing, it addresses whether, in an environment of increasing pressure on public spending, governments should continue to subsidise sporting activities at the expense of other public resources.

Written in a clear and accessible style, this pioneering book explores a number of specific issues including:

the relationship between sport and happinessthe effect of sport on health, including the capacity of sport and exercise to reduce spending on medical expensesthe relationship between sport and productivitywhether sport as a leisure activity can improve quality of life.

Innovative and original, this volume will strongly appeal to students and researchers of sport, health and welfare economics.

Contributors include: C. Breuer, C. Cabane, M. Davis, P. Downward, C. End, D. Forrest, J. Garcia Villar, H. Huang, B. Humphreys, G. Kavetsos, M. Lechner, J. Leyva, I. McHale, S. Oreffice, T. Pawlowski, J. Price, C. Quintana-Domeque, S. Rasciute, J. Ruseski, N. Sari, D.H. Simon

The sports industry is large, visible, and growing—and it has a huge impact on society. That's obvious to die-hard fans who not only watch sporting events but buy everything from balls to ties to paperweights with their favorite team's logo. But even sports haters can't escape the onslaught of professional sports: They are asked to chip in as taxpayers to build public stadiums, and their children are, like it or not, exposed to events sponsored by alcohol and tobacco companies, not to mention the juvenile antics of star athletes. Businesses, of course, take a hit in productivity when the Olympics—or World Series or Super Bowl or World Cup—rolls around. Yet most of us love to watch, and play. The Business of Sports takes on this endlessly fascinating behemoth of an industry to make sense of it all.Yes, sports is big business. How big? Estimates of total annual U.S. spending on sporting goods and services range from $250 to $560 billion a year, and spending related to organized sport alone has been estimated at $200 billion per year. And it's getting bigger, casting an ever-larger shadow over the entire globe. The Business of Sports throws light on the subject by exploring the business and economic dynamics of the industry from a diverse array of perspectives that cover the industry's macroeconomic, management, and marketing/promotion issues. —Volume 1, Perspectives on the Sports Industry, documents the current size, scope, and magnitude of the sports industry in the U.S. and abroad—including the U.K. and China. It also examines the importance of the world's most visible sporting events, like the Olympics, and the impact of sporting events broadcast around the world. —Volume 2, Economic Perspectives on Sport, takes an in-depth look at the sports industry from an economic perspective. The volume delves into the inner workings of leagues and teams, covering economic issues from the design of sports leagues to franchise financial valuations to salary caps to labor relations. —Volume 3, Bridging Research and Practice, fills the gap between scholarly research on sport and practitioners working in the industry. Topics include evaluating talent, maintaining managerial efficiency, analyzing statistical performance indices, and assessing the noneconomic benefits of professional sports. Business and sports are a potent mix of two of the strongest forces moving our society today. And, as the stratospheric salaries of professional athletes indicate, the industry is going through major growth and change. To make sense of it all, it helps to understand the underlying economic principles driving the business decisions made daily by owners and managers in all corners of the world. The unique, multivolume format of The Business of Sports allows sports nuts, journalists, business people, and students to explore the wide variety of issues that fuel the world's crazy passion for all things athletic.

This unique book examines how sports betting markets function. Charting recent international developments, expert contributors consider how both bookmakers and stakeholders view these changes, their prime areas of concern and the potential methods for addressing them. Providing a rigorous economic analysis throughout, this book examines the informational efficiency of betting markets and the prevalence of corruption and illegal betting in sports. Against this background, chapters explore pertinent questions such as: should gambling markets be privatized? Is the `hot hand' hypothesis real or a myth? Are the `many' smarter than the `few' in estimating betting odds? How are prices set in fixed odds betting markets? Chapters also review important policy concerns such as the health implications posed by the potential link between the accelerating popularity of sports betting and the decline in sports participation. Academics and students studying economics, sports economics and, more specifically, sports betting will find this book an engaging companion. Contemporary and up to date, it will also appeal to stakeholders looking to widen their professional insight.Contributors include: B. Buraimo, X. Che, S. Dobson, A. Feddersen, D. Forrest, J. García, J. Goddard, K. Grote, B. Humphreys, V. Matheson, R. Paul, D. Peel, L. Pérez, P. Rodríguez, J. Ruseski, R. Simmons, P. Westmoreland, A. Weinbach, R. Wheeler, J. Yang

Offering a cutting-edge analysis of competitive balance and outcome uncertainty, this book explores the topic from multiple perspectives. Chapters address competitive balance and outcome uncertainty in different sports in a range of countries to help understand its significance. Highlighting important new insights into previously unexplored dimensions, the book also provides a rich context for better understanding why fans, teams and leagues value competitive balance. It challenges readers to think about the topic in a broad and rigorous way, and in some cases to question widely held beliefs about how outcome uncertainty motivates competitive balance and how sports fans actually view competitive balance. Key case studies and the use of new data in the chapters makes this an interesting read for sports economics researchers and students looking for current analysis of the topic. Managers of sports organizations will also appreciate the insights that the book gives into what their customers value. Contributors include: A. Barajas, O. Budzinski, D. Coates, J. del Corral, A. Feddersen, B. Frick, T. Gasparetto, C. Gómez-González, T.J. Gopane, B.R. Humphreys, S. Jenkins, S. Kesenne, M. Lowrance, J. Miller, K.T. Mokgatle, J. Price, J. Reade, P. Rodríguez, L.C. Sánchez, P. Sanchez-Fernandez, E.F. Stephenson, H. Winner