CENTRAL FIGURES OF SPORTS MARKET IN TURKEY: THREE BIGGEST AND THEIR MARKETING OPERATIONS

Nowadays professional sports have emerged as an industry and football industry is an important part of sport industry. A quick glance at football in Turkey will reveal that the football industry has developed rapidly after 1980’s. Turkish football revenues have reached 342 million € in 2008-2009 football season and took place in the top ten in European football revenues. Istanbul clubs (Be ikta GK, Fenerbah e SC, and Galatasaray SC), as called Three Biggest, have received a significant portion of these revenues. The basic aim of this paper is to examine Turkish football market, especially Be ikta Gymnastic Club, Fenerbah e Sport Club, and Galatasaray Sport Club’s (as called Three Biggest) market share and their marketing operations.