Areas that are not being used or empty terraces can be converted to useful places if planned correctly. A plot might be left vacant or used exclusively for storage, but it could be an unused land sports ground or a sports facility based on a roof terrace which can be used by the local community, schools, fitness enthusiasts, and sports academies.

These areas can be made into money-spinners and get people active with the right sport, construction, and business plan. If you have an empty plot or a commercial building or you’d like to brainstorm sports business concepts for the land you have, the initial step is to recognize what you can handle on the land.

You’ll need to begin by assessing your available space

If you are considering investing in your property for construction, do your research first to learn about the size, shape, location and condition. A land site adjacent to a housing development can be appropriate for a football pitch, and a suitable roof structure of a commercial development can provide space for some sports activities.

Avoid starting with the most popular sport. First, you need to be aware of your property’s constraints and the requirements of residents and/or employees in the surrounding area.

Before planning, you should have a number of questions to ask

• What is the amount of space available for use?
• Are roads to the property easily accessible?
• Are there any schools, college, office or residential societies nearby?
• Do you have any parking services available/possible?
• Will the facility cause noise and/or light to affect neighbouring residences?
• How much are you able to spend for construction and operation?

If a project is to be installed on a roof, be sure to get the input of a qualified structural engineer before making plans for sports activity. The building should be capable of safely carrying the proposed load such as players, equipment, play surface, barriers and extra loads.

• Select the appropriate sport for the area you have

The sport you choose will impact on how much you spend building it, how many customers it will come to serve, how it will be serviced and how much money it will generate. A small property could be more suitable for a small sided sport than a full-sized field.

Do some of the local research before you make your decision. Explore sport locations in the local area, their capacity, engage with coaches and understand what are the barriers to accessing sport.

Different sports options for different places

Available space	Sports options to consider	Key planning point
Small vacant plot	Futsal, compact football turf	Safe boundaries and efficient layout
Medium-sized plot	Football turf, cricket practice nets	Surface, drainage, and netting areas
Larger plot	Multi-sport facility, multiple courts	Phased development and space planning
Suitable commercial terrace	Badminton, selected fitness activities	Structural capacity, weather, and safety
Residential or mixed-use property	Small training court, fitness zone	Noise, access, and operating hours

These are recommendations to get you started, not definite suggestions. The structural capacity of a sports court, its size, access and local building permits must meet the requirements of a terrace sports court. If you are using balls that are moving quickly, heavy machinery or activities that require high-impact movements, it might be necessary to install extra engineering or safety equipment.

• Prior to construction, it is important to grasp the business model

There must be a proper business model to generate revenue for a sports facility. Just developing a turf/court does not mean customers. You must determine who will be interested in using the facility, how they will arrange for usage, what they will pay and how you will run it on a daily basis.

The decision of which model to use will be based on your location, customer base, investment and desire to be involved in the business.

There are several ways that are popular to make money from a sports venue

• Hourly bookings: Hire the court/turf for a set period of time to groups, friends and local players.
• Sports academy partnerships: Work with appropriate coaches or existing sporting academies with a regular training facility.
• Membership packages: Providing access for regular users, packages available for weekly/monthly basis (depending on availability and scheduling).
• Corporate sports activities: Organize company sports events, team building activities and recreational activities.
• Coaching programmes: Hire space for coaches to teach children/adults.
• Renting equipment for local tournaments or friendly matches: Organize appropriate competitions and friendly matches in the local area to get new users and re-bookings.

A blended revenue business model can help to decrease reliance on any single customer category. For instance, a facility could offer day coaching as well as evening bookings which are by the hour, as long as the schedule, demand and staffing is able to accommodate this.

• Plan the Construction, according to the Sport

Once the sport and/or business model has been determined, then a suitable facility plan should be developed. Carefully take into consideration what the floor is likely to be used for when you choose which floor or turf, which waterproofing and drainage, lighting and fencing and access you will require.

Preparing the base, installation of drainage, artificial grass lawn, balls and infills (where needed), perimeter netting and proper lighting are some of the things required for an outdoor football turf. All these things – from rooftop surface systems, access routes, protective barriers and waterproofing coordination, are all different at a rooftop facility.

Important Construction Factors

• Playing surface: Pick the type of playing surface that corresponds to the sport/usage.
• Base and drainage: Keep water from building up and damage to the playing surface.
• Operating hours lighting: Providing sufficient lighting hours.
• Safety barriers: Install appropriate netting, edge protection, and fencing.
• Access: Ensure safe entry and exit, emergency access and around the facility.
• Support areas: Provide seating, drinking water, washrooms, storage & changing facilities for equipment (as practicable).

It is recommended to be installed as a roof top, where waterproofing and drainage of the roof is very recommended. Do not affect the existing waterproofing system or rainwater outlets in the building. These requirements can be best coordinated by a qualified team of design and construction professionals prior to construction.

• Review Permissions, Structural Safety and Local Rules

The sports facility will need to be legally and structurally appropriate for the sports it will accommodate if it is to be a successful business. Needs can differ from site to site, property to property, and activity to activity; so, check before building. 

Check building approval (if applicable), access, noise and local operating rules when nothing is being grown on the land. If the roof is to be used for an activity, check with the building authority to ensure it is allowed, and the building is suitable for the activity.

There are also some special considerations for rooftop sports facilities in India

Designing a rooftop sports facility in India requires a lot of consideration, before that:

• Qualified engineer assessment of the structure.
• Permission of the building owner and/or appropriate association.
• Suitable building and fire protection rules and regulations. 
• Safe Stairs, lifts, access and emergency exits. 
• Ball Containment, Fencing and guardrails. 
• Rainwater and exposure to the weather resistance. 
• Reductions in operating hours, noise and lighting. 

It is not always appropriate to use an empty terrace for sport. If changes and improvements to the structure, significant changes to safety or regulatory approvals are necessary, then factor in the expense and timeline for these changes.

• Work out the Investment and Potential Returns

The biggest error that property owners make is not estimating their profit in consideration with the total cost of development and operation. The following items should all be part of a realistic budget; construction, equipment, approvals, staffing, utilities, maintenance, marketing, and rent/financing.

Apply for an in-depth quote from a qualified contractor and be sure to consider specification, warranties and services offered.

When preparing your business plan, take into account the following costs

Cost category	Examples
Initial development	Site preparation, base work, flooring or turf
Safety and infrastructure	Netting, barriers, lighting, access improvements
Permissions and professional services	Engineering assessment, design, approvals
Daily operations	Staff, electricity, cleaning, booking management
Maintenance	Surface repairs, equipment replacement, drainage
Customer acquisition	Local advertising, launch offers, partnerships

How to estimate monthly revenue?

Make a simple calculation to grasp the earning potential prior to investing.

Monthly bookings revenue = Average hourly rate x Paid bookings hours/day x No of working days/month

Suppose the cost of a court is ₹1,000 per hour and that the court gets an average of 4 paid hours of booking per day and that the court is open for 30 days.

• Monthly booking revenue: ₹1,000 × 4 × 30 = ₹1,20,000.
• The operating surplus before taxes, loan repayments, depreciation and other excluded expenses (expenses not included in the monthly operating expenses) is ₹75,000.

This is merely an example of what can be achieved and not a promise of a return. The actual bookings may change during the season, competition, location and hours of operation of the restaurant. Use realistic occupancy to calculate revenue and not assuming that the facility is always filled.

• Market Your Sports Facility to the Local Community 

Regardless of how well it is constructed, a business requires regular customers. The great thing is to begin marketing before opening so your local players, coaches, schools and businesses know what you offer. 

Don’t over-spend on advertising, stick to simple and local advertising. 

Practical Marketing Ideas 

• Set up a Google My Business profile: Eases the search of your business by local customers. 
• Use social media platforms: post photos, video, information about your facility and appointments.
• Coaches: Give time for coaches to train regularly as coaches. 
• Schools/Societies: Sports Days, Coaching Programme, Group Hiring. 
• Trial offers: Make special offers to attract new business. 
• Get your customers to refer friends and team members! 

Booking options via WhatsApp messenger on phone or online. Respond quickly to inquiries, accurately communicate prices, and follow a good schedule. A good customer experience will result in customer rebooking & recommendations.

Start Small and Expand as Demand Grows

To ensure that recruitment is not too large, and then reduced, if necessary, it should always be done on a small scale and then increased as necessary.

Don’t build a huge sports facility right away. A graduated strategy will be useful to help see how demand for the service will develop before investing in additional equipment, court or amenities.

For example, if a suitable football field or training ground is constructed, and after a few months it is obvious that there is sufficient demand for it to warrant the expense, then it can be enlarged.

Track these important business indicators:

• The number of paid hours of rentals in one week.
• The most common times and slots for sports.
• Revenue and Operating Expenses per month.
• Repeat business and membership renewals.
• Customer complaints, maintenance expense.

Use information for decision making. If there are times in the day when the centre is not very busy, it may be possible to work with the schools or coaches to use the centre.

These are typical pitfalls to steer clear of:

If there are important planning considerations that are overlooked by the sports owner, despite a good location, the sport’s start can be rough.

The following are some typical errors to watch for:

• Building, simply because it is the ‘right thing to do’.
• Selecting a surface due to its low cost.
• Not taking account of drainage, lighting and safety issues.
• Assuming every available hour will generate income.
• Not estimating the maintenance and operating costs correctly.
• Constructing a roof-top structure without a building permit.
• Spending a lot of money on amenities prior to starting to book regularly.

To create a facility that will become a recurrent destination for customers and that you can maintain within your budget.

FAQs

Q1. Can an under-used field be converted to a viable sports field?

Ans. Yes, land that is not used can become a sports ground, if it is the right area, it has the right dimensions, access is right and building regulations are right. Revenue generated from renting books by the hour, coaching programs, book membership and tournaments. Profitability is dependent on the demand in the surrounding area, investment, operating costs and continual use of the facility by the customer.

Q2. Is it possible to install a sports court in the terrace in India?

Ans. Rooftops may be viable for certain sports activities, but not for all activities to take place on a rooftop court. It must be evaluated by a professional structural engineer in terms of load-bearing capacity and regulations, permissions, access, waterproofing and safety issues should be examined prior to the beginning of work.

Q3. What are the top sports business ideas for land that hasn’t been used?

Ans. This can be a small sided football turf, box cricket facility, coaching court, sports training centre or multi-sport facility. This will vary based on space, competition, customer demand, investment opportunity and operating expenses. Do some research on these components prior to selecting a business model.

Q4. If a sports stadium could make money from what?

Ans. There are a number of ways for a sports facility to make money, including through hourly rentals, coaching partnerships, memberships, corporate functions, tournaments and sports camps. Multiple revenue sources can be used to optimise space efficiency, especially during low demand periods. However, each activity should be modified to suit the capacity of the facility and the needs of operating the facility.

Q5. What is the return on investment of a sports ground?

Ans. Estimate booking income for the month realistically and then subtract the operating expenses to get to an operating surplus. See this as part of the total initial investment (approvals, equipment, construction, etc.). When trying to figure out how long it can take to recoup your investment, consider the time when your product is not in demand, depreciation, financing and taxes.

Conclusion

Opportunities for the creation of functional and viable sport spaces for income generation can be found in areas not being used or unused terraces. However, this is not enough to get to the top, either by installing Artificial Turf or setting up a court. There are a number of considerations for property owners to understand regarding the local demand, the appropriate sport to choose, planning carefully, complying with safety requirements and developing a business model that allows for regular bookings.

Before any construction, have a feasibility study and draw up a realistic budget, and consult with professionals. If the sport facility selected is planned and managed appropriately, it can be more efficient with regard to space utilization and can be more relevant to the local community and have sustainable revenues.

If you’re considering a new turf or sports facility, check out the Gallant Sports ground construction cost guide to familiarize yourself with the key parts of construction before you create your project budget.