In 2018, the Lundquist College Board of Advisors expressed an interest in the role the college plays in the global sports industry. Professors Emerit of Marketing Roger Best and Dennis Howard answered the call. After preliminary research of sports business, they enlisted 12 graduate students—eight from our Sports Product Management program and four from our Warsaw Sports Marketing Center—as well as seven undergraduates. The result is a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive compendium for anyone involved with sports business.
“Our students played a huge role in data collection and data analysis,” Best said. “In total, our database is over 250,000 items.” The model goes far beyond the U.S., with 35 countries represented.
The first book to fully account for a $2.3 trillion sports industry, The Global Sports Industry: Events, Fans, Products, Participation, and COVID-19 Impacts, is now available online and in print at Amazon. Part of the proceeds from book sales will go to support further research at the college.
The researchers identified three main domains to categorize the many factors that go into the sports industry. They are: fan engagement, sports products, and sports participation.
“When the worldwide revenue was summed for all elements of this model, it totaled $2.3 trillion,” explained Howard. “More importantly, we could show where every dollar came from.”
The authors believe the book will become a trusted resource not only for academics studying the business of sport, but also journalists, marketers, and other industry stakeholders.
—AnneMarie Knepper-Sjoblom ’05, Lundquist College Communications