Sports Naming Rights Jurisprudence Analysis

Sports Naming Rights is an important intangible asset in sports field. Its exploitation and utilization is the linchpin to the reform of our sports institutions and the development of our sports industry. Nevertheless, the research on sports naming rights lags far behind and says nothing of giving theory support. This thesis tried to give a legal boundary to sports naming rights and discuss issues on its concept, quality, character, form, content, scope, value, status and exploitation. In particular, by comparing with different features presented in its development process in China and American, this thesis tried to points out problems during its development process and analyze the reasons and find out solutions in order to offer some theory reference to the exploitation of our sports naming rights with the normative and legal way.This thesis tried to discuss sports naming right by means of literature material research, professional interview, logic reasoning and using the knowledge of law, with the viewpoint of economics, physical education, media, accounting and so on.Sports naming rights is in essence the rights of both parties obtain economic benefits and business opportunities through transferring the name rights of the belongings, including matches, teams, sports facilities, and so on, which are recognized by society, from the specifically party in sports domain to another party. Sport naming rights includes mainly match naming rights, team namingrights, sports facilities naming rights etc. As a kind of intangible asset, sports naming rights is not only a kind of name rights, a commercial rights, but also an intangible asset rights. Its legal features includes easy neglect, unstable value, lifelong existence, direct income, market-reliable and equal bargaining. As a kind of intangible asset, sports naming rights is a main income of professional club and a main way of city management and modern enterprises operating and marketing. Sports, which is a kind of media, is the source of sports naming rights value. The value of the sports naming rights should be evaluated through market evaluation and its exploitation should depend on sports agent institutions. There exists a gap between China and western countries in the development of sports naming rights. Our exploitation of sports naming rights still stay in a primary stage and it is still out of order ,not standard with low value ,poor effect and serious violation of contract, all that is mainly due to the reasons of institution, legal system, market, technology and morality. The Sports Law must be amended to define the status of sports naming rights. Meanwhile protective regulations for sports naming rights should be made in order to create a good legal environment for the development of sports naming rights.