About This Report:

The West of England Sport Trust (Wesport)1 wishes to assess the economic impact of
the sports sector in the West of England2. This work has been undertaken by the Department of
Accounting, Economics and Finance, within the Faculty of Business and Law, at the University of the
West of England (UWE, Bristol). Zeta Economics was commissioned to undertake some of this work
and this has been summarised in the report.
The sports sector contributes to the economy in many ways: by supporting employment and
adding to the economic output due to commercial activities, by contributing towards increasing
expected life span of the population, by facilitating better lifestyles that can also lead to increased
income levels, by helping to avoid healthcare costs, as well as a number of other social benefits.
The economic value of the sports sector is therefore comprised of a number of monetary and nonmonetary
elements, which require different approaches for their estimation.
This report provides an assessment of the value of sport sector activities in the West of
England in 2012, as well as the total value that accrues to the whole UK economy. It also projects
the expected future value of the sports sector in the next ten years.