Wildlife Diversity in Global Team Sport Branding

Abstract

Many sport organizations worldwide have capitalized on wildlife iconography to develop their brand. Given the ongoing global biodiversity crisis and the importance of sport in modern societies, representations of wildlife in the sport industry offer enormous potential for shifting social norms, raising funds and promoting biodiversity conservation initiatives within the industry itself. We collected data on professional teams that use wild animals either in their name, logo, or supporters’ nicknames across 50 countries and across 10 team sports. We identified 727 sport organizations using wildlife iconography or nicknames. Mammals and birds are the most represented classes, and lions (Panthera leo), tigers (Panthera tigris), and grey wolves (Canis lupus) are the most frequently selected species. Threatened species and species with a declining population trend are more represented than other species, with differences across regions. This is a critical first step toward integrating biodiversity conservation in the sustainability agenda of sport organizations.