A systematic literature review: assessing the impact of sports events between 2010 and 2022

Abstract

ABSTRACT The literature on the impact of sport events continues to grow. However, existing systematic reviews have often focused on a specific typology of impact and/or specific events. In this article, we highlight the current state of sport events impact literature through a systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method. Following predefined criteria, the authors reviewed 172 review and research articles published in indexed journals between 2010 and 2022 that were collected from four databases. Given the limited consensus around the conceptualisation of legacy in the academic literature, it was agreed to limit the keywords for this study to ‘sports’, ‘event’, and ‘impacts’. The term ‘impacts’ seems more precise as it is inclusive in nature, incorporating both ‘legacies’ and intended ‘outcomes’. Results show that five countries, led by the United States, dominate in terms of publications, focusing more on economic impact assessment, particularly of large and single sport events. While studies still focus on mega-events, new research is increasingly turning to small and medium-sized sporting events, and more intangible impacts are attracting the interest of researchers. In particular, studies of consumer behaviour and destination image, as well as planning and evaluation strategies, are gaining momentum, while there is a lack of studies on the health and educational impacts of sports events, as well as the impact of the development of sports infrastructure built around the events.