Metaverse and Challenges of Entrepreneurship in Sport

Purpose: This study aims to identify and analyze the challenges posed by the metaverse, as an emerging platform, to sports entrepreneurship. It seeks to provide a coherent framework for understanding the dynamics of entrepreneurship in the sports metaverse ecosystem by examining and prioritizing the multidimensional nature of these challenges.Methodology: A mixed-methods approach was employed. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ۱۶ interdisciplinary experts at the international level and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. In the quantitative phase, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied with the participation of ۲۵ experts to prioritize the identified challenges (CR = ۰.۰۱۴).Findings: The qualitative findings identified ۳۱ initial codes, categorized into six challenge themes within the specific context of sport: technical and infrastructural, economic and financial, socio-cultural, legal, innovation and capacity-building, and marketing and audience engagement. These challenges were examined and analyzed in terms of the particular characteristics of the sports industry, including the need for immersive and low-latency sport experiences, preservation of the authenticity and excitement of traditional sport, athlete and user data privacy, and the adaptation of sport organizations, broadcasting systems, and fan engagement models to virtual environments. In the quantitative phase, technical and infrastructural challenges were ranked as the most critical barriers.Originality: This study contributes to the emerging literature on the sports metaverse by providing a sport-specific framework for understanding the challenges of metaverse-based entrepreneurship in sport. Unlike previous studies that mainly examine the metaverse from a general technological perspective, this research analyzes these challenges within the structural, cultural, legal, economic, and managerial context of the sports industry. The findings offer theoretical and practical insights for policymakers, sports organizations, platform developers, and entrepreneurs seeking sustainable strategies in immersive sport environments.

کلیدواژه ها:

Entrepreneurial Challenges ، Innovation ، Metaverse ، Sport ، Sport entrepreneurship