Introduction Against the backdrop of China’s coordinated advancement of the “Digital China” and “Rural Revitalization” development strategies, digital countryside construction has emerged as a new opportunity for the sports industry. Methods Based on panel data from 21 provinces in China from 2015 to 2023, this study employs fixed-panel models, moderation effects models, and mediation effects models to examine the relationship between digital countryside construction and the sports industry, as well as its underlying mechanisms. Results Digital countryside construction exerts a significant positive promotion on the sports industry; Market-oriented factor allocation exerts a significant positive moderating influence on the impact of digital countryside construction on the sports industry; Rural consumption upgrade plays a significant positive mediating role in the influence of digital countryside construction on the sports industry. In terms of regional heterogeneity, the eastern region exhibits a significant promoting effect, while the central region shows a suppressing effect that is not statistically significant. The western region also demonstrates a promoting effect, though it is not statistically significant. Discussion Implementing region-specific development strategies, tailored to local conditions, is of paramount significance for achieving the maximal policy benefits of digital countryside construction. This should be accomplished by deepening market-oriented reforms and enhancing digital infrastructure to foster balanced and high-quality development of the sports industry in both urban and rural areas.
Zhang et al. (2025) studied this question.