A new study out by Sheffield Hallam University, conducted for Sport England, has found that sport has expanded its role in that country’s economy to account for 2.3 percent of all consumer spending and 1.8 percent of employment. This is a bigger role than it has played in the last 25 years. Sports’ total contribution reached £16.67 billion (€20.25bn-$25.76bn) in 2008, up by 140 percent in real terms since 1985.
Between 2005 and 2008, growth in the industry was fueled by investments looking toward the 2012 Olympics in London, as well as Sport England’s attempts to increase participation in sports in the country. In terms of employment, three-fourths of the jobs related to sports were in the commercial sector, and 13 percent were in the public sector.
