A typology of circular business models in the sport industry

This conceptual paper develops a typology of circular sport business models to explain how sport organizations can integrate circular economy principles into sustainable value co-creation processes across the sport industry. The study is important because sport ecology research has largely examined environmental impacts and pro-environmental behaviours without fully addressing how sustainability can be embedded into sport organizations’ business models and strategies. The circular economy offers a framework to decouple sport-related economic activity from resource depletion and environmental degradation while supporting social and economic value creation.

Using a typology-based conceptual approach grounded in value co-creation theory, the authors developed four archetypes of circular sport business models: circular for-profit, circular public, circular social purpose, and circular platform business models. Sustainable value co-creation in sport can occur through multiple mechanisms, including closing material loops, reducing resource use, extending product life cycles, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and coordinating stakeholder ecosystems.

The authors show that different sport organizations, from commercial brands to public governing bodies and social enterprises, can adopt circular practices tailored to their missions and stakeholder structures. The study also introduces the “circular platform” model, emphasizing ecosystem-wide collaboration and systemic change rather than firm-centered sustainability strategies.

The study provides sport managers and policymakers with a framework to redesign sport organizations around circular economy principles and more sustainable stakeholder engagement. It outlines a future research agenda encouraging scholars to examine circularity, ecosystem governance, fan engagement, environmental stewardship, and social justice within sport management and sport ecology research.

CITE: Gerke, A., Fehrer, J., Benson-Rea, M., & McCullough, B. P. (2024). A typology of circular sport business models: Enabling sustainable value co-creation in the sport industry. Journal of Sport Management, 38(4), 225-239. DOI: 10.1123/jsm.2023-0093