Sport marketing's past, present and future; an introduction to the special issue on contemporary issues in sports marketing

In 2015, the global sport industry was estimated to be worth US $145 billion which accounts for over 3% of the world’s economic activity (PWC, Citation2011). Adding to this the total estimated worth of the blooming esport industry (reported to soon reach US $1 billion according to CNN, Citation2016), and the projected growth in particular markets, such as China and India, the sports industry appears to have cemented its value and potential around the world, while differentiating itself from the wider service and entertainment industries. Combining its economic impact with its sociocultural importance in people’s lives and in local and wider communities, it is of little surprise that academics have been increasingly interested in studying the sport industry, including its particular functions and peculiarities.