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Athletic equipment. Bat, baseball, mitt, basketball, helmet, and spiked shoes. National Photo Co. 1941

Introduction

Sports is big, big business not only in the United States but around the world. Millions and millions of dollars are spent at sporting events and on sports-related equipment and apparel. According to charts based on data from the National Sporting Goods Association and published in the 2004-2005 Statistical Abstract of the United States, sales for all athletic and sports clothing for 2002 were almost $10 billion dollars while sales for athletic and sports equipment were over $21 billion 1. Receipts from spectator sports events for 2002 were over $1.5 billion dollars. 2

BERA - Business & Economics Research Advisor - A Quarterly Guide to Business & Economics Topics

Issue 3/4: Summer 2005

The Sports Industry

Table of Contents

Introduction
General Guides and E-Resources
Baseball
Basketball
Football
Golf
Soccer
Tennis

Caption: left:
Athletic equipment. National Photo Co. from the
National Photo Company Collection
(Library of Congress)
Reproduction number: LC-USZ62-96727

This guide is devoted to those sports that are the largest in terms of monies at the professional level and/or which attract the greatest attention from the general population. As a result, not every sport is included. The primary focus is on the sports industry in the United States although there are a few instances in which the international aspects of the industry are mentioned. Because of the focus on professional sports, the Olympics and other amateur events are not included. For sources of information about the Olympics, see The Olympics: A Guide to Reference Sources . Each section of the guide contains links to print and electronic resources, as well as quick links to relevant LC catalog searches.

If you have any further questions, please Ask A Librarian.

Ellen Terrell, Lead
Janice Herd
Lawrence Marcus
Joseph Sams
Joan Sullivan


1 "Sporting Goods Sales by Product Category: 1990 to 2003," Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2004-2005 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004), Table 1247.

2 "Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation - Nonemployer Establishments and Receipts by Kind of Business (NAICS Basis): 1997 to 2002," Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2004-2005 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004), Table 1226.
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