The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports businesses and examination of crisis management practices in businesses

This research aims to determine how sports businesses operating in different cities in Turkey have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the crisis management strategies implemented by sports business managers during the pandemic. The study group of the research consists of 13 sports business managers operating in various cities. A qualitative research method has been adopted for this study. Data was obtained using a semi-structured interview technique with the "Perspectives of Sports Managers on the Impact of the Pandemic (COVID-19) on Sports Businesses" form. The interviews were conducted by the researcher through telephone calls and recorded using an audio recording application. Descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the obtained data. The findings reveal that the pandemic has significantly impacted all sports businesses. Managers, who were caught unprepared for the crisis, managed to sustain a business by developing certain strategies during the process. Additionally, it was concluded that the majority of managers recognized the necessity of a crisis management plan. Keywords: Pandemic, Crisis, Sports Business, Crisis Management.