The element of competition in sports, along with the aesthetic appeal of some sports, leads to the popularity of people attending sports. This led to the emergence of a specific phenomenon of sports with spectators.
Both amateur and professional sports attract viewers, both in person on sports grounds and through broadcast media, including radio, television and the Internet. Both in-person and remote viewing may sometimes incur substantial fees, such as an entrance ticket or a fee for watching a television broadcast. A sports league and a tournament are two common events that organize sports teams or individual athletes to compete with each other on a regular or periodic basis.
Popular sports usually attract a large broadcast audience, which leads to competing broadcasters offering large amounts of money for the rights to show certain events.
Sports can be practiced on an amateur, professional or semi-professional basis, depending on whether participants have an incentive to participate (usually by paying a salary or salary). Amateur sports at lower levels are often referred to as "mass sports".
The popularity of spectator sports as entertainment for non-participants has led to the fact that sport itself has become a big business, and this has stimulated the development of a highly paid culture of professional sports, where highly effective participants receive remuneration far exceeding the average salary, which can amount to millions of dollars.
In some sports or individual competitions, a policy remains in place within the sport, allowing only amateur sports. The Olympic Games began with the principle of amateur competition, when those who practiced any sport professionally were considered to have an unfair advantage over those who practiced it simply as a hobby. Since 1971, Olympic athletes have been allowed to receive compensation and sponsorship, and since 1986, the IOC has decided to grant all professional athletes the right to participate in the Olympic Games, with the exception of boxing and wrestling.