ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the main theoretical models which address the concepts of the consumer, the fan and the spectator and examines how the work may be incorporated in the process of optimizing the management of sporting arenas. The globalization of major sporting events has further underscored the pre-eminence of television, which has become the true link or driving force between the consumer and brands investing in sport through sponsorships. The escalator is a graphic representation of consumer movement to higher levels of involvement in a sport, as a player or a fan. The experience of sports consumption has thus acquired a number of new aspects that revolve around the athletic performance offered on the field. In professional sport, the North American leagues have been using geomarketing for some years. In France, Loic Ravenel, a geographer who first became involved in sport and then in sports marketing, began pioneering work in this area in 1996.
