The Commercialization of Voluntary Sport Organizations in Norway

Abstract

Following a theoretical analysis of factors that may account for the level of commercialization of voluntary sports organizations, commercialization is measured using cross-sectional data at the organizational level. The potential crowding-out effect between (a) commercial resources and (b) public and voluntary resources is investigated. The findings show that the level of commercialization in this sphere is already significant, although dependent on the definition of commercialization. The most commercialized organizations are those that are particularly oriented toward competitions and most dedicated to team sports. The empirical analysis supports the theoretical approach. The greater the facility by which the sport may be transformed into a private good, the more likely it is that the organization will be commercialized. Finally, commercialization does not hinder public sector support nor voluntary work; the most commercialized organizations are also those receiving the largest share of public funds, and increasing commercial resources does not reduce the level of voluntary work.