Drivers of Sports Globalization and Commercialization

Sport today plays a significant role in society on global scale; it has changed the emphasis of what cultural distinctions are important [1]. The attractiveness and popularity of sports enhances the commercialization of sports and affects cities, regions, countries and the international community. The commercialization of sports is closely related to the search for talent and investments in both human capital and infrastructure in order to promote their own brand and extract more profit [2]. The mass media, providing informational and financial support to sports clubs in promoting their brands and acquiring a global audience, contribute to the fact that a sports club transforming into a business unit, becomes interesting for commercial stakeholders. Their money, time and passion are the cornerstones for this intensified commercialization [3]. This study is aimed to determine the factors contributing to sports globalization and sports commercialization in the field of ice hockey. Determination of the factors contributing to sports’ globalization and sports brands commercialization is important for understanding the needs of a well-developed marketing strategy for the sports clubs that are the ‘agents’ of global transformations.