Analysis
NAICS 71121 is the 2022 NAICS industry for spectator sports, part of 7112 (Spectator Sports). Census lists 73 example activities under it in the official index.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments grew 25% and employment rose 6%. The 2018 count used NAICS 2017, so part of a large move can come from codes being redefined rather than from businesses opening or closing.
County Business Patterns counts 5,147 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 140,107 people at an average annual payroll of $235,617 per employee (100th percentile of national industries). 68% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which marks it as a small-business industry.
Census lists 10 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 7113, 71399, 81399 and 71321. Businesses that do several things are classified by their primary activity, the one that generates the most value, so check those boundaries before settling on this code.
Across its national industries Census lists 73 index entries; typical ones are baseball clubs, professional or semiprofessional, automobile racetracks and athletes, amateur, independent.
It splits into 3 more detailed codes. The largest by establishments is 711219 (Other Spectator Sports) with 3,124.
Official definition
This industry comprises (1) sports teams or clubs primarily participating in live sporting events before a paying audience; (2) establishments primarily engaged in operating racetracks without casinos; (3) independent athletes engaged in participating in live sporting or racing events before a paying audience; (4) owners of racing participants, such as cars, dogs, and horses, primarily engaged in entering them in racing events or other spectator sports events; and (5) establishments, such as sports trainers, primarily engaged in providing specialized services to support participants in sports events or competitions. The sports teams and clubs included in this industry may or may not operate their own arena, stadium, or other facility for presenting their games or other spectator sports events.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Promoting sporting events without participating in sporting events | 7113 Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events |
| Recreational sports clubs (i.e., sports teams) not operating sports facilities | 71399 All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries |
| Amateur, semiprofessional, or professional athletic associations or leagues | 81399 Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) |
| Operating casinos (except casino hotels), with or without racetracks | 71321 Casinos (except Casino Hotels) |
| Operating casino hotels, with or without racetracks | 72112 Casino Hotels |
| Representing or managing the careers of sports figures | 71141 Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures |
| Independent athletes engaged in providing sports instruction without participating in sporting events before a paying audience | 61162 Sports and Recreation Instruction |
| Independent athletes exclusively engaged in endorsing products or making speeches | 71151 Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers |
| Operating off-track betting parlors or online sports betting sites | 71329 Other Gambling Industries |
| Raising horses, mules, donkeys, and other equines | 11292 Horses and Other Equine Production |
Index entries (73)
- Baseball clubs, professional or semiprofessional
- Automobile racetracks
- Athletes, amateur, independent