The Role of Digital Economy in Enhancing the Sports Industry to Attain Sustainable Development

Xiaolong Wei, Jianwei Zhang, Oleksii Lyulyov and Tetyana Pimonenko ()
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Xiaolong Wei: School of Physical Education and Sport Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
Jianwei Zhang: Institute of Economics, Fujian Academy of Social Sciences, Fuzhou 350001, China
Tetyana Pimonenko: Department of Management, Faculty of Applied Sciences, WSB University, 41-300 Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-21

Abstract: The digital economy system is an essential driving force that promotes the development of the sports industry, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the roles of the digital economy in enhancing the sustainable high-quality development of the sports industry in China. This study utilizes panel data from 17 provinces in China, spanning the period from 2014 to 2020. The level of high-quality development in both China’s digital economy and sports industry is calculated using the entropy method. To examine the empirical relationship between the digital economy and the sports industry’s high-quality development, this study employs benchmark regression, mediation models, and spatial analysis and conducts robustness tests. The findings of this study indicate that the digital economy not only directly and significantly contributes to the development of the sports industry but also drives it indirectly through the transformative effects of technological innovation. This study reveals that the impacts of the digital economy on the sports industry’s high-quality development exhibit nonlinear characteristics, with an initial period of rapid growth followed by a diminishing growth rate and spatial spillover effects. By recognizing this dynamic relationship, stakeholders could better strategize and allocate resources in their efforts to achieve SDGs. To advance the development of the sports industry and contribute to the SDGs, it is crucial to accelerate the construction of digital infrastructure in China, nurture a diverse pool of talent in sports science and technology, and develop region-specific strategies that consider sustainability and inclusivity.

Keywords: digital economy; sports industry; technology innovation; threshold effect; space spillover effect; sustainable development; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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