Sports have changed, you can bet on it: The rise of the non-aesthetic in sports

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyse what is described as the non-aesthetic within the discourse and consumption of sports, which emphasizes the entrepreneurial logic of its management culture. In particular, I address the growing importance of analytics in sports as well as the growth of sports gambling and daily fantasy sports, which are simulated forms of the non-aesthetic, and how each of these embodies the philosophy of neo-liberalism and its entrepreneurial ethos. These are contrasted with the sports as an aesthetic activity relying upon the writings of ) to illustrate that, while analytics, sports gambling and daily fantasy sports can contribute towards the marketing potential of sports, particularly among younger demographics, these shifts come at the sacrifice of sports as a source of important cultural meaning.