Sports entertainment

Sports entertainment is a type of of pop culture entertainment that employs the framing device of a sporting event with an overt, even campy emphasis on dramatic storylines, humor, spectacle or titillation. Some sports entertainment events have a predetermined winner, such as Pro Wrestling (WWE, TNA etc.) and Exhibition Basketball such as Harlem Globetrotters; Other events such as Mixed Martial Arts (UFC, IFL etc.) where the winner is determined through an actual contest which involves real athletic skills.

The term came into prominence in the 1980s through its use by Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation, now World Wrestling Entertainment.

Precursors have been found going back to February 1935, when Toronto Star sports editor Lou Marsh described professional wrestling as "sportive entertainment."

Monster truck events, roller derby, and the U.S. television show American Gladiators are contemporary examples of sports entertainment. Exhibition or Entertainment Basketball teams such as the Harlem Globetrotters have explicitly used the term in their commercials and do have predetermined results.

Robot fighting such as Robot Wars and Battle Bots is a very popular Sports Entertaiment sport. Competitive Robot games such as Robot Games is also a popular type of Sports Entertainment.

Bull fighting is a very popular type of Sports Entertainment.

Televised Thumb Wrestling such as Thumb Wrestling Federation is also a type of Sports Entertainment. Even extremely popular television shows such as Strictly Come Dancing fall into the Sports Entertainment genre.

The most popular Sports Entertainment sports are World Wrestling Entertainment, and Monster Trucking.