Australia's economic mores through the lens of the professional sports industry

Abstract

Commercial sport highlights certain paradoxes at the heart of Australian exceptionalism: the contrast between a self-perception of Australians as rugged individualists and the presence of an intrusive, controlling state. Although sport is one of the few areas in Australian life where the tall poppy syndrome is muted, and sports stars (even in team events) are idolized, the sports industry is characterized by regulations on employees’ rights to bargain that would be illegal in the rest of the economy. This chapter compares the state of commercial sport in Australia with that in other countries, principally the USA and the UK, to explore such issues, including amateurism versus professionalism, British-style promotion-relegation systems versus US-style cartel structures, and government subsidies for professional sport infrastructure.