Abstract
The operations of sports organizations must be managed to create value in the long run. This explicit management will support their efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability. The key concept measured in this study was the popularity of sports. This concept is a pivotal element in influencing the acquisition of financial contributions for sports organizations (from the state and sponsors) as well as in attracting new members. We conducted an online questionnaire in 2021 focusing on the concept of the perceived popularity of sports in Slovakia. The number of observations was 338, out of the total population of Slovak citizens over the age of 15. We also applied other methods, including content analysis, induction, deduction, comparison, and synthesis analyses. The analysis of the data led to the following findings: in this context, the two most popular sports were hockey and European football; the greatest propensity for fan self-identification was observed for European football, hockey, and basketball; men who indicated a preference for cycling were significantly larger fans of the sport than women; European football and motorsports were almost exclusively preferred by men; skiing, volleyball, and tennis were preferred by women; and basketball was preferred by the youngest respondents. This study aimed to propose recommendations for approaching sustainability, assuming that increasing popularity represents an opportunity to increase a sport organizations’ membership base.
Highlights
Academic Editor: Flavio BocciaWhile studying the subjective popularity of sports in different countries, selected characteristics need to be deliberately included so that new, applicable findings and conclusions can be drawn to direct the decision-making of policy makers and the managers of sports organizations
The formula includes sports’ popularity from the perspective of the country’s population. We focused on this aspect directly related to the sustainability of sports and the sustainable development of sports organizations
In preparing the questionnaire used in this research, we found a similar survey on sports’ popularity conducted in October 2020 in the Czech Republic by the National Sports
Summary
While studying the subjective popularity of sports in different countries, selected characteristics need to be deliberately included so that new, applicable findings and conclusions can be drawn to direct the decision-making of policy makers and the managers of sports organizations. This area is not clearly defined in Slovakia. These elements and specific points are directly accompanied by supporting or opposing opinions and the findings of other authors from around the world. This proves the importance and topicality of the research presented in this article
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