How are sport, the media and sponsorship linked, and what are the advantages and disadvantages?
The commercialisation of sport, the relationship between sport, sponsorship and the media (the golden triangle), and the advantages and disadvantages for sport, performers and spectators.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on commercialisation and the media, covering what commercialisation means, the golden triangle linking sport, sponsorship and the media, and the advantages and disadvantages for sport, performers and spectators.
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What this dot point is asking
WJEC wants you to explain the commercialisation of sport, the golden triangle linking sport, sponsorship and the media, and the advantages and disadvantages for sport, performers and spectators.
Commercialisation
Top-level sport is now a major industry, with money coming from television and streaming deals, sponsorship, advertising, ticket sales and merchandise.
The golden triangle
The golden triangle describes the relationship between three parts that depend on each other:
- Sport provides the events, performers and audience that the others want.
- The media (television and online) pays sport for the right to broadcast it, and gives sport a large audience.
- Sponsorship (business) pays sport and performers to advertise products to that audience, and benefits from the media exposure.
Each part feeds the others: the media gives exposure, sponsors give money for that exposure, and sport receives money from both, which funds clubs, performers and events.
Advantages and disadvantages
| Advantages | Disadvantages | |
|---|---|---|
| Sport / clubs | More money to fund facilities, grassroots and events | Smaller or less popular sports get little coverage or money |
| Performers | High wages, sponsorship, full-time training, better facilities | Pressure to perform and behave well, loss of privacy, risk of being dropped |
| Spectators | More events televised and streamed, better coverage and analysis | Higher ticket and subscription prices, sport behind paywalls, times changed to suit TV |
The role of the media in detail
The media affects sport in several ways:
- it raises the profile of sports and performers, which can inspire participation,
- it brings in huge sums of money through broadcasting rights,
- it can focus on popular sports (football) and ignore minority sports, widening the gap,
- it can change the sport itself, for example moving kick-off times, adding breaks for adverts, or introducing technology for viewers.
Sponsorship in detail
Sponsorship is when a company gives money or resources to a performer, team or event in return for advertising and exposure. It can take several forms:
- financial sponsorship: money paid to a performer, club or event,
- kit and equipment sponsorship: free or branded clothing, footwear and equipment,
- facility sponsorship: a company paying for or naming a stadium or arena.
Sponsorship benefits sport (money to fund performers and events) and benefits the company (its brand reaches a large audience). The risk for a performer is that poor behaviour or poor results can lead a sponsor to withdraw, and the performer is expected to represent the brand well at all times.
Why this matters
Commercialisation and the media shape modern sport and connect to several topics: media coverage and role models affect participation, sponsorship funds provision, the same money drives sports technology, and the pressure to win can lead to the ethical issues such as doping covered next.
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 style4 marksExplain the relationship between sport, the media and sponsorship (the golden triangle).Show worked answer →
A 4-mark question: reward the links between all three parts of the triangle.
The golden triangle describes how sport, the media and sponsorship (business) depend on each other. The media (television and online) pays sport for the rights to broadcast events, and this coverage gives sport a large audience. Sponsors (businesses) pay sport and performers to advertise their products to that audience, and they also benefit from the exposure the media provides. In return, sport receives money from both the media and sponsors, which funds clubs, performers and events.
Markers reward the idea that each part feeds the others: the media gives exposure, sponsors give money for that exposure, and sport provides the events and audience that both want.
WJEC style6 marksDiscuss the advantages and disadvantages of the commercialisation of sport for performers and spectators.Show worked answer →
A 6-mark question: give advantages and disadvantages for both, then a judgement.
Advantages for performers: more money from sponsorship and media allows them to train full time, access better facilities and earn high wages. Advantages for spectators: more events are televised and streamed, with better coverage, replays and analysis, so they can watch more sport more easily.
Disadvantages for performers: pressure to perform and to behave well for sponsors, loss of privacy, and the risk of being dropped if results dip. Disadvantages for spectators: kick-off times move to suit broadcasters, ticket and subscription prices rise, and some sport moves behind paywalls so it is less accessible.
To reach the top band, give advantages and disadvantages for both groups, use examples, and finish with a judgement, for example that commercialisation has hugely raised the quality and reach of top sport but has made some of it more expensive and pressured.
Related dot points
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A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on participation, covering the factors that influence whether people take part in physical activity (age, gender, peers, family, role models, cost and access) and the barriers that reduce participation, with ways to overcome them.
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A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on provision and target groups, covering the groups whose participation is below average, the types of provision (public, private and voluntary), and the schemes and strategies used to increase participation and make sport more inclusive.
- Sportsmanship, gamesmanship and deviance in sport, and the reasons for and consequences of doping and the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on ethics, covering sportsmanship, gamesmanship and deviance, the reasons performers use performance-enhancing drugs, the consequences of doping, and why drugs are banned in sport.
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A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on sports technology, covering how technology is used to analyse and improve a performer, how it supports match officials, and the advantages and disadvantages of using technology in sport.
Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE Physical Education specification (from 2016) — WJEC (2016)