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Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation in Australia Industry Data and Analysis
Australia's Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry has recovered since pandemic-related restrictions forced crowd limits and drove down revenue. While states with fewer lockdowns saw smaller declines, most operators experienced sharp revenue losses. Since 2022-23, record attendances across major sporting codes, due to AFL and NRL seasons that broke previous highs and standout events like the Australian Open and the Australian Grand Prix, have powered a swift rebound. Alongside these live sports, the return of international music tours (notably Taylor Swift’s sold-out run at the MCG) has helped fill scheduling gaps and diversify revenue.Revenue has grown at an annualised rate of 4.2% over the past five years, reaching $2.4 billion in 2024-25. This includes a current year growth rate of 1.2%. Despite this resurgence, large, government-backed venue operators continue to rely on public subsidies to offset depreciation and operating costs, which keeps industry-wide profit margins in the red.Looking ahead, the industry’s revenue trajectory remains strong. Ongoing population growth and rising sport participation at professional and community levels will drive demand for new and upgraded facilities. Urban expansion corridors, like Western Sydney, Greater Geelong and South-East Queensland, are already seeing significant investment in multipurpose precincts, while projects like Tasmania’s Macquarie Point Stadium and Victoria’s Wyndham City Stadium will open new revenue streams in the coming years. Festivals of non-sporting events, from major concerts to community functions, will continue to smooth seasonal volatility and bolster usage.Preparations for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games continue to encourage growth. State and federal governments have committed to extensive facility upgrades and greenfield developments, ensuring venues meet Olympic standards while leaving a legacy of modern infrastructure. That’s why industry revenue is poised to grow steadily through 2029-30 to reach $2.7 billion, growing at an annualised rate of 2.7%, driven by a blend of elite sporting events, community engagement and diversified entertainment offerings.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released July 2025.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia operates under the ANZSIC industry code R9113. The Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia includes businesses that manage and operate venues for both professional and amateur sporting events, as well as recreational activities. This encompasses stadiums, arenas, swimming pools, racecourses and sports centres. Operators may own or lease facilities and often provide associated services like event management, seating, lighting, catering and maintenance to support sporting and entertainment functions. Related terms covered in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia include australian football league (afl) , national rugby league (nrl) and international cricket council (icc).
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia include Oval ground operation, Tennis court operation and Rectangular field operation.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia include Venues NSW, VenuesWest and Melbourne Cricket Club.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia in 2026?
The market size of the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia is $2.4bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia in 2025?
There are 1,537 businesses in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia, which has grown at a CAGR of 1.7 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia?
The Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia?
The Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia has been growing at a CAGR of 4.2 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia?
The biggest companies operating in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia are Venues NSW, VenuesWest and Melbourne Cricket Club
What does the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia include?
Oval ground operation and Rectangular field operation are part of the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia?
The company holding the most market share in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia is Venues NSW.
How competitive is the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia?
The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Operation industry in Australia.
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