Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and sport entrepreneurship

Abstract

PurposeCoronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected all sectors of the global economy but some have been affected more than others. The sport sector has been especially influenced by the COVID-19 crisis in a way that has never been seen before. This has meant an urgent need for most sport enterprises to think about new business models in order to cope with the change. The purpose of this article is to discuss in more detail how the sport sector can utilise entrepreneurship as a way of combatting uncertainty whilst promoting the recognition of new opportunities.Design/methodology/approachA review of the existing literature on COVID-19 in terms of crisis management, entrepreneurship and sport is undertaken. This helps to understand the linkage between sport and entrepreneurship and how this can be used in times of the COVID-19 crisis.FindingsAll sport businesses, athletes, managers, fans and consumers need to utilise entrepreneurial thinking in order to act creatively. This will help combat the unease and uncertainty, associated with the COVID-19 crisis and create more entrepreneurial ecosystems to develop.Originality/valueThis article is the first to explicitly state the need for sport businesses to harness the entrepreneurial potential of the COVID-19 crisis thereby contributing to new practices that will help the sport sector survive this uncertain time period and flourish in the future.