The Study On The Consumption Of Audience In Professional Sports

Consumption of audience plays a core role to the healthy development of professional sports. This study analyzes the causation and restriction of social environment in the consumption of audience in professional sports as well as the initiative and construction of the consumption of audience in professional sports to social environment, and explores the relationship and coordination mechanism between them.Taking the consumption (referring in particular to the watching of professional sports, on site or through media channels) of audience for professional sports as the object of study, the country as the unit of analysis, and NBA, MLB, Bundesliga and J-League as cases, this study analyzes the relationship between the consumption of audience in professional sports and social environment in USA, Germany and Japan since the 1990s through literature review, comparative research, case analysis and qualitative interview methods to explore the general rule, dissects the conditions in China and puts forward suggestions based on the study of the above countries, with Geddens’ Structuration Theory, Human-centered Development Theory and Theory of Consumption Society as the theoretical basis.The study results indicate:1. Professional sports events are in different positions in the social environment for different countries due to different development backgrounds and phases.2. The social environment restricts the consumption of audience in professional sports. Income, leisure and social development level as the "affordability" affect the implementation of the consumption in professional sports which is compatible with the social environment to some extent. When the social environment to make people have the freedom to choose ability and to facilitate the choice of life, professional sports audience consumption to smooth realization. When society provide people the possibility of free choice of life and the convenience of the implementation, professional sports audience consumption come true.3. The media environment in a country affects the off-site consumption (i.e. media consumption, referring to the watching of athletic games through media channels) of audience in professional sports. The sufficient competition in media and network services in professional sports developed countries provides the chance to obtain conveniently and attractive price for media consumers of professional sports and keeps balanced development of on-site and off-site consumption.4. The consumption of audience in professional sports has positive influences on social environment, including the influences on management of clubs and leagues, on the media industry closely related to professional sports and on social economic development and industrial structure.5. Because of different project features, different generation and development path, and different social environments, there is no unified template for success as to professional sports. The coordination mechanism for the consumption of audience in professional sports and social environment serves as the key to maintain the existence and development of professional sports.6. Compared with developed countries, the level of social development of China is relatively low; the problem in the development of professional sports should be treated objectively. The audience consumption market of Chinese professional sports has great potential opportunities, but faces limited actual market. The lack of consumption consciousness and expenditure of audiences and the consumption environment are all required to be improved. The market mechanism is unsound and the media environment is unfavorable. In order to promote the consumption of audience in professional sports in China, we should recognize the social phase of China and the position of the consumption of professional sports in social life, create the social environment favorable to citizens’ welfare standard, establish a mechanism to promote the consumption of audience in professional sports, absorb advanced experience, not imitate foreign modes indiscriminately, but form Chinese own mode with professional sports in harmony with social environment.