Empirical Study on the Economic Impact of Small and Medium-Sized Sports Events on China's New First-tier Cities

To investigate the impact of medium and large sports events on the economies of first-tier cities in China, this study employs the ordinary least squares method to analyze the relationship between economic growth, the frequency of sports events, and industrial output in six cities—Guangzhou, Nanjing, Jinan, Shenyang, Tianjin, and Xi'an—that hosted events such as the National Games and marathons from 2000 to 2023. The empirical results indicate that the frequency of small and medium-sized sports events, along with factors such as financial and retail industry output, have a positive impact on economic development. Furthermore, due to varying levels of development, the specific industries impacted by sports events differ across cities. This research demonstrated that the rational planning of medium and large sports events can contribute to urban economic development.