IELTS Writing Task 2 with sample answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Sport today is turning into a business, with many companies involved and ever growing prize money for the sportsmen. Do you think it’s a positive or negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer:
As a capitalist society, commercialization has become prevalent in everywhere, whether it is in sports, politics, academics, or social activities. The incessant acceptance and prevalence of advertising activities in sports helps to normalize commercial intrusion in every domain of sports. The giant transnational companies are increasingly engage in the sports events and are even spending thousands of dollars on prize money. However, when it comes to the issue of whether it is positive trend or negative trend, people are split in their opinion. As far as I am concerned that it is a positive development.
First and foremost, commercialization of sports boosts revenue. Not only does it benefit to generating more capital for sports, but equally proliferates revenue for different industries. To give an illustration of what I mean, let us look at the case of National football League. The NFL and it thirty two teams raked $1.07 billion in sponsorship revenue in 2003 according to IEG. Likewise, electronic media and print media earned revenue from ads broadcasting events and presenting news.
Similarly, Commercialization of sports also improves amateur level sports into professional level. That is to say that when an amateur level sports are focused commercially, media exaggerates the events and eventually the event can transcend into professional level. In addition, the sponsorship and prize money uplift the living standard of players. Another key point to remember is commercialization fosters the number and quality of sports telecasted on TV. Without sponsorship, spectacles would not able to enjoy their favourite sports sitting home.
To sum up, commercialization is an inevitable phenomenon in sports today. It benefits enormously to sports and boosts economy as well. Therefore, I deem that commercialization of sports indeed a positive development.