Research on Spatial Structure of Integrated Development of Sports Industry in Yangtze River Delta

Based on the index data of 22 central cities in the Yangtze River Delta, the spatial structure characteristics of the integrated development of sports industry in the Yangtze River Delta are empirically investigated with the modified gravity model and social network analysis. It is found that the integration of sports industry in the Yangtze River Delta is at the stage of“polar nuclear”development during the sample investigation period, and its spatial structure presents the structural characteristics of“star network”with Shanghai as the core. The urban administrative level, the role of urban boundary barriers and the development strategies of local governments may be its important incentives. The sports industry of Shanghai acts as a central actor in the Yangtze River Delta integration processes, while other cities' sports industry plays the role of a fringe actor. The unbalanced development will be the normal state of the sports industry in the Yangtze River Delta if the above structure relationship cannot be broken in the future. The sports industry in this region has formed three spatial plates such as“benefit”,“net spillover”and“benefit-overflow equilibrium”. But their spillover effect and synergistic effect are relatively weak, and the power source of the development of regional sports industry is insufficient. Especially Shanghai in the plate Ⅰ, its“siphon effect”plays more than“radiation effect”,leading the role and regional demonstration value need to be stimulated. Accordingly, when institutions and policies of the integration of sports industry in Yangtze River Delta are developed, the spatial relevance and spatial closeness between regional sports industries should be taken as the important decision variables and decision objectives, and different roles of each city and each plate in the spatial structure should be given full consideration. Especially, strengthen the spatial connection of sports industry between prefecture-level cities.