Money, Media, American Sports

Welcome back to athletic anthropology! Today I am excited to talk about the role of economics in modern American sports and the revenues they create. Athletes are some of the most recognizable people on the planet because they are featured on national TV, in international advertisements and on hundreds of news campaigns. As a result, Athletes use their name platforms to fish in billions of dollars each year. Today, I am excited to talk about how athletes have used their sporting performances to generate massive fortunes.

Athletes have capitalized on the success of leagues to commodify themselves and their actions. The performance of superstar athletes is widely debated across media as numerous organizations capitalize on predicting athletes' success. One example of this is sports betting. While bets can be made with little to no knowledge of sports, those who wish to make money often spend hours familiarizing themselves with the athletes and teams they bet on to make more informed decisions. Betting has historically attracted fans to professional athletics by offering an economic incentive for following sports. Athletes can capitalize on the billions of dollars bet on games by performing well to build their appeal and support from fans. A recent example of athletes commodifying themselves to earn money has been the numerous media explosions surrounding the free agency and trade deals involving superstar athletes in the NBA and other leagues. Players like James Harden and Deshaun Watson have strategically excused themselves from play in order to demand a trade to another team. These players know that it is essential for them to perform well in games for the massive contracts that these players sign to become profitable for teams. Thereby, athletes can threaten to halt the profits made off of them to force teams to trade them. While these tactics are frowned upon by league officials and management, they are examples of how athletes can use their economic power to enact change in their lives. Trades and deals are often the subjects of conversation on sports talk shows and news networks that have created a steady platform for the drama surrounding players’ performance and career decisions. Organizations like ESPN have become massively popular as they have revolutionized how sports are discussed and distributed in the media. 

It is essential to recognize the role that modern sports play in society and in the economy. Athletes often use their wealth for good, but it is important to recognize the consequences that come with such great financial resources. Helping athletes to recognize the responsibilities of wealth can help ensure a more equitable society.