Stakeholders’ perceptions on the role of professional sports clubs in local community health promotion

Charitable arms of professional sports clubs and organizations (PSCOs) offer a range of health promotion (HP) programmes within communities, yet little is known about their role within approaches to HP, particularly from the view of key intersectoral partners. Our study explored the perceptions of the role of PSCOs within local approaches to HP from the perspective of multisectoral stakeholders in a southwest region of England. A qualitative single case study approach was implemented, undertaking semi-structured interviews (n = 23) with intersectoral stakeholders spanning the sport, public, voluntary, and health sectors. Findings suggest PSCOs were viewed as important organizations for provision of local HP due to their unique assets, such as stadia, branding, coaching staff and their presence within communities. However, their aims and objectives were unclear to stakeholders and often perceived as motivated by ‘brand drivers’ of the elite club, despite holding independent charitable status. Moreover, stakeholders were generally unaware of evaluation materials created by PSCOs and favoured the development of a co-produced evaluation framework for PSCOs. In conclusion, PSCOs should utilize existing community forums, networks, and working groups to better communicate organizational structure, aims, and provision amongst prospective partners. Better understanding of PSCOs structures and aims would support understanding of organizational readiness and requirements for future collaboration in intersectoral approaches to local HP. Moreover, local policymakers should consider how mutually beneficial partnerships with PSCOs could be formed, and how the unique assets, and reach, of PSCOs can be best utilized within intersectoral approaches to local HP.