Financial impact of corporate social responsibility in sport: towards a research agenda

Given the importance of CSR in traditional organizations (Barrio-Fraile & Enrique-Jiménez, 2021), it is unsurprising that consideration is increasingly given to the relationship between CSR and the business of sport both by academics and sport organizations themselves. The underlying finances of any business are key to management’s decision-making, and it is this decision-making that governs the place within, and importance of, CSR to the organization in question. The landscape within which CSR and sport interact from a business perspective is broad and far-reaching and can therefore affect a large number of aspects of an organization, from sporting performance to commercial incentives. From a research perspective, this creates a need for definitional clarity regarding the types of organizations included in the notion of the business of sport.

This chapter’s scope encompasses the financial impact of CSR within the broader decision-making involved in the business of sport, focusing on sport organizations. The chapter will, therefore, cover some of the conceptual aspects of the business of sport and sport organizations, before looking at various financial implications that tie CSR and sport together, highlighting gaps in the literature and providing suggestions for further research throughout.