Integrating geographic information systems (GIS) into sport business practice and research

Currently, applications of spatial analyses have been fairly absent from the research into the sport industry. Sport is inherently geographic in nature so the inclusion of spatial analyses and the spatial analysis software into sport research could prove useful for sport organisations. The purpose of this paper is to examine the utility of spatial analyses utilising geographic information systems (GIS) within the sport industry. Within this paper, we define GIS and demonstrate its applicability within a variety of sport business contexts. Implications for research and practice are discussed.