ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the relationship between mass participation and elite performance sports from an economic perspective. It also shows that elite performance sport and mass participation sport are interrelated economically, both on the individual level and on the organisational level. In many countries the sport system is organised as a pyramid, with elite performance sport being at the top of the pyramid and mass participation sport at the bottom. Elite performance sports is not only a financial challenge for clubs, it also represents an opportunity for them to generate revenues in more areas. Thus, elite performance sport affects mass participation sports, and this relationship is economically relevant because of increased sport-related expenditure, health benefits and the formation of social capital. The relationship between elite performance sport and mass participation sport is documented using primary data on non-profit sports clubs that stem from the German Sport Development Report. Non-profit sports clubs have a variety of goals.
