Leveraging sportainment for sport’s long-term viability: a multidimensional inquiry through three conceptual frameworks

Purpose This conceptual paper aims to investigate how the growing synergy between sport and entertainment reshapes the sport ecosystem and how sportainment can be strategically leveraged to ensure sport’s long-term viability. It addresses the following research question: How can sportainment be strategically leveraged to ensure the long-term economic, social and ethical viability of sport in an era of hyper-commercialization and digital spectacle? Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a narrative review methodology, the paper synthesizes interdisciplinary perspectives to examine the rise of the sportainment ecosystem. Anchored in Schumpeter’s notion of creative destruction, it analyses how cycles of innovation have disrupted traditional sport structures. Viability is framed not merely as commercial or financial success but as a multidimensional construct encompassing economic performance, social legitimacy and ethical responsibility. Findings Sportainment is magnified by the society of the spectacle and the logic of affective engagement. The paper warns against the risks of inauthentic spectacle and proposes three original conceptual frameworks: (1) the transformation of sport into hybrid spectacle; (2) the integration of entertainment, finance and gameplay in constructing brand equity and (3) the continuum from authentic sport to deep-fake sportainment. These models collectively theorize sportainment as a system of symbolic governance. Originality/value This paper offers a multidimensional conceptual inquiry and positions sportainment as a performative infrastructure shaping cultural value, emotional resonance and stakeholder trust. It provides theoretical and practical guidance for safeguarding sport’s long-term viability while resisting symbolic manipulation.