The importance of sporting events is immense; every country that wins an award in an international competition is instantly recognized by the entire world, and that level of fame and notoriety is important to nations that are notoriously not recognized too often, and that platform can build up national pride. That is why massive football games, Cricket tournaments are extremely popular as it is seen as intense competition, but in a good-hearted manner (most of the times). This has made sports competitions extremely profitable, with companies lining up to sponsor the games in return for maybe a 30 second ad slot, and players even more popular. This brings a lot of attention both commercially and critically to these types of games, but there has been criticism that the awards don't seem to be all that genuine due to its hyper-consumerist methods. But for now, winning on a massive stage can guarantee a celebrity lifestyle, and a very profitable life indeed.
