Journal of Physical Education and Sports Management

An Exploratory Investigation of the Experiences of Gay Games IX Sponsors
David Hack

Abstract
In recent decades, sport sponsorship has emerged as a significant component of the financial plan for many sport properties. While the importance of sponsorship is widely acknowledge by practitioners and researchers, there has been minimal work devoted to understanding sponsorship of amateur sports and even less related to the sponsorship of sports properties which cater primarily to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) community. This exploratory case study was part of a larger group of studies which sought to investigate sponsorship of Gay Games IX. Specifically, this component of the study sought to investigate the organizational experiences of those that entered into sponsorship agreements with the 2014 Gay Games, an LGBT focused, international sporting mega-event which secured $4.16 million in sponsorships. Data were gathered via document analysis, site observations, and in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Two major themes related to the sponsorship experience emerged as a result of data analysis: 1) minimal concerns and experiences of backlash related to sponsorship and 2) a difficulty measuring the effectiveness of the sponsorship. Practical applications and research implications for these findings are discussed.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jpesm.v5n1a2