How has sport become a global business, and what does that mean for performers, fans and host nations?
The globalisation of sport, its causes including the media and travel, the migration of performers, the hosting of global sporting events, and the benefits and drawbacks of a global sporting marketplace.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on the globalisation of sport, covering its causes (media, travel, commercialisation), the migration of performers and fans, the staging of global events, Americanisation, and the benefits and drawbacks for sports, athletes and host nations.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
WJEC wants you to explain what the globalisation of sport means, the linked causes that produced it (the media, commercialisation, travel and the migration of performers), the staging of global events, and the benefits and drawbacks of a worldwide sporting marketplace for sports, athletes, fans and host nations. As with commercialisation, the exam rewards a balanced, evaluated answer.
What globalisation means
Globalisation is closely tied to commercialisation: the drive for the largest possible market is what pushes sport beyond its home country.
The causes of globalisation
Migration of performers
A defining feature of global sport is the movement of athletes between countries. Talented performers migrate to the leagues that pay best and play at the highest level, which:
- raises standards in the destination league by gathering the best players,
- spreads the sport as migrants and their fans carry it to new audiences,
- but can weaken the home nation or league by draining its talent, and can exploit young performers recruited from poorer countries.
Global events and Americanisation
Global sport stages mega events, the Olympic Games, football and rugby World Cups, that are watched worldwide and bid for fiercely by host nations. Americanisation describes the way one dominant commercial culture (cheerleaders, franchises, branded spectacle, marketing-led formats) is exported into other sports and countries, sometimes at the expense of local traditions.
Benefits and drawbacks of globalisation
Examples in context
Example 1. Overseas pre-season tours. A European football club touring Asia or North America to play matches and sell merchandise shows globalisation driven by commercialisation, expanding the fan base into new markets.
Example 2. Hosting the Olympic Games. A city staging the Games illustrates the benefits (profile, legacy, pride) and the drawbacks (cost, white-elephant venues, displacement), the classic balanced case for a host nation.
Try this
Q1. Define the globalisation of sport. [1 mark]
- Cue. The spread of sport across national borders into a single, interconnected worldwide market of leagues, events, performers and fans.
Q2. Give two causes of the globalisation of sport. [2 marks]
- Cue. Any two of: the media and technology, commercialisation, improved travel and communication, and the migration of performers.
Q3. State one benefit and one drawback of globalisation for a sport. [2 marks]
- Cue. Benefit: worldwide reach, profile and funding, or higher standards. Drawback: loss of local identity, inequality between rich and poor leagues, or exploitation of performers.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC 20196 marksExplain the main causes of the globalisation of sport.Show worked answer →
Globalisation is the spread of sport across the world into a single connected market. Several linked factors caused it.
The media and technology: satellite and digital broadcasting, the internet and social media let events be watched live anywhere, so sports build worldwide audiences and fan bases.
Commercialisation: sponsors and broadcasters want the largest possible market, so they push leagues and events to expand abroad (overseas tours, matches and merchandise).
Improved travel and communication: cheaper, faster air travel lets teams, performers and fans move between countries, and lets leagues recruit talent worldwide.
Migration of performers: the best athletes move to the strongest, best-paid leagues, spreading the sport and raising standards.
Multinational businesses and shared brands: global sponsors, kit manufacturers and franchised events create a single marketplace, sometimes described as Americanisation when one culture's model dominates.
Markers reward several linked causes (media and technology, commercialisation, travel, migration), explained rather than listed.
WJEC 20214 marksEvaluate the impact of globalisation on a host nation that stages a major global sporting event.Show worked answer →
Hosting a global event such as a World Cup or Olympic Games has clear benefits and costs for the host nation.
Benefits: raised international profile and tourism, investment in transport and sporting facilities (a legacy), a boost to national pride and participation, and economic activity and jobs around the event.
Drawbacks: very high costs that may exceed the income, the risk of unused white-elephant venues afterwards, disruption and displacement of residents, and reputational risk if the event is poorly run or linked to corruption.
A good answer weighs the two: the event can deliver profile, legacy and pride, but only if the costs are controlled and the facilities are used afterwards.
Markers reward benefits and drawbacks plus an evaluative judgement, ideally with a relevant example.
Related dot points
- The relationship between sport, culture and society, and the historical development of sport from pre-industrial through post-industrial Britain to the modern global game.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on sport and society, covering the meaning of sport, the social and cultural functions it serves, and the historical development of sport from pre-industrial folk games through the rational recreation of the industrial era to the modern global game.
- The commercialisation of sport, the golden triangle of sport, sponsorship and the media, the functions and types of media coverage, and the positive and negative effects of commercialisation on sport, players and spectators.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on the commercialisation of sport, covering the golden triangle linking sport, sponsorship and the media, the functions and types of media, and the positive and negative effects of commercialisation on sport, performers and spectators.
- Sporting ethics including fair play, sportsmanship and gamesmanship, the concept of deviance, relative and absolute deviance, under-conformity and over-conformity, and Coakley's sport ethic.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on sporting ethics and deviance, covering fair play, sportsmanship and gamesmanship, relative and absolute deviance, under-conformity and over-conformity, Coakley's sport ethic, and the reasons performers behave deviantly.
- Doping in sport, the reasons performers use illegal performance-enhancing drugs and methods, the arguments for and against doping, and the strategies used to eliminate it including WADA, testing and education.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on doping in sport, covering the reasons performers use illegal performance-enhancing drugs and methods, the arguments for and against doping, and the strategies to eliminate it including WADA, drug testing, the biological passport and education.
- An overview of the non-exam assessment (practical performance and the analysis and evaluation of personal performance), what is assessed, how it is marked and moderated, and how to prepare for it.
An overview WJEC A-Level PE answer on the non-exam assessment: practical performance in one activity as a player, performer or coach, plus the analysis and evaluation of personal performance, how it is marked and moderated, its weighting, and how to prepare.