menu_open Columnists

Sports Business Journal

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

The real gap in youth sports isn’t interest — it’s access

The real gap in youth sports isn’t interest — it’s access

The World Cup has come to an end, and hosting it on our own turf has shone a brighter spotlight on the sport, inspiring millions of kids across the...

yesterday 1

Sports Business Journal

Gary Buete

Virtual reality: Not dead, just still ahead of its time

Virtual reality: Not dead, just still ahead of its time

Since artificial intelligence apparently is influencing every decision we now make and, in turn, dominating sport industry discussions (by supposedly...

yesterday 1

Sports Business Journal

Rick Burton And Norm O’reilly

The smartest sports teams are building brands beyond the game

The smartest sports teams are building brands beyond the game

This spring, two sporting giants on opposite sides of the Atlantic gave their long-suffering fans something to celebrate. In London, Arsenal lifted...

17.07.2026 0

Sports Business Journal

Mark Jones

Enterprise commercialization will reshape college athletics

Enterprise commercialization will reshape college athletics

College athletics is entering one of the most important business shifts in its history. The House settlement is changing financial models. NIL has...

16.07.2026 1

Sports Business Journal

Jeffrey Doyle

The future of branded content in a broken attention economy

The future of branded content in a broken attention economy

Sport remains one of the most powerful environments for brands to connect with audiences. Traditional assets such as shirt branding, stadium displays...

15.07.2026 5

Sports Business Journal

George Duncan

Achieving and ranking the career ‘fan’ grand slam

Achieving and ranking the career ‘fan’ grand slam

My dream was to see all four tennis majors. Yes, some dreams come true! I just finished the career fan slam after attending the Aussie Open and French...

14.07.2026 0

Sports Business Journal

Steve Hall

America’s soccer journey is only at halftime

America’s soccer journey is only at halftime

The exits of the United States, Mexico and Canada from the FIFA World Cup should come as no surprise to those of us who have dedicated our lives to...

13.07.2026 3

Sports Business Journal

Nick Sakiewicz

Why a single-seller approach makes sense for college basketball (too)

Why a single-seller approach makes sense for college basketball (too)

In April, we estimated that college football could generate 2034-35 rights fees in excess of $14.8 billion, up from $3.9 billion currently, should a...

13.07.2026 3

Sports Business Journal

Ed Desser And John Kosner

Inside Inter Miami CF’s equity-driven partnership strategy

The most revealing aspect of Inter Miami CF’s new partnership with Prenetics — the NASDAQ-listed parent of health and longevity brand IM8,...

09.07.2026 3

Sports Business Journal

Mauricio Rios

The data beneath the game: Who owns the numbers when baseball’s next CBA arrives?

Gerrit Cole may not know it, but every fastball he throws is now a financial transaction. The instant the ball leaves his hand, Hawk-Eye and Statcast...

08.07.2026 2

Sports Business Journal

Mark Salah Morgan

From the pitch to prime time: How U.S. sports leagues hope to win the world

Sport has always been television’s most reliable draw. Unlike drama, which can be streamed at leisure, or news, which can be consumed in clips,...

07.07.2026 5

Sports Business Journal

Frédéric Vaulpré

TKO’s next sovereign frontier: The case for diversifying the government partnership model beyond Saudi Arabia

The most valuable customers for TKO Group Holdings are not ticket buyers; they are governments. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the clearest proof of...

06.07.2026 7

Sports Business Journal

Alejandro Estrada Rojas

WWE and the inevitability of further disruption

Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from “Sometimes Wrong but Never in Doubt” (Skyhorse Publishing, June 2026), by George Barrios, former...

01.07.2026 6

Sports Business Journal

George Barrios

Professional teams have a generational opportunity to claim the media value chain

The disruption of the regional sports network model is not a distraction from the core business of fielding a winning team — it is the next chapter...

30.06.2026 5

Sports Business Journal

Ken Tolle

The NIL gold rush is over, and that’s good for athletes

Five years after House v. NCAA accelerated the economic transformation of college sports, the industry is finally entering a phase that mature...

29.06.2026 7

Sports Business Journal

Stephen Bienko

Where do we go after the World Cup?

Soccer fandom in the United States has increased substantially since our hosting of the World Cup in 1994 — manifested by participation,...

29.06.2026 5

Sports Business Journal

Bill Sutton

What do FCC spectrum auctions mean for sports networks?

When it comes to live sports, billions of dollars in rights fees, advertising commitments, carriage agreements and affiliate revenues depend on...

26.06.2026 9

Sports Business Journal

Rick Young

If you want to reach Gen Z, follow the road map emerging from women’s sports

Gen Z is often described as distracted or disengaged. But new research suggests something very different: Young people are paying attention. They are...

25.06.2026 8

Sports Business Journal

Risa Isard And Alisha Greenberg

F1’s real asset isn’t speed — it’s intellectual property

Formula 1 is among the most technologically advanced sports in the world. It is also, structurally, an intellectual property (IP) business. Its...

24.06.2026 4

Sports Business Journal

Janet F. Moreira

Colleges celebrate women’s sports, then ask donors to save them

America is finally falling in love with women’s sports. College athletic programs are dismantling the very system that built them. Earlier this...

23.06.2026 7

Sports Business Journal

Bryan Sheffield

Every sports team is about to become a software company

The next competitive advantage in sports won’t come from a better sponsorship deal, a renovated premium club or a new ticket package. It will come...

22.06.2026 10

Sports Business Journal

Jack Phifer

86% of fans say live sports are becoming a luxury experience

The sports industry has spent the better part of the previous decade proving it can maximize revenue inside the venue: Premium seating, dynamic...

22.06.2026 20

Sports Business Journal

Davey Chadwick

Why your sponsorship dollars are wasted if you’re not playing

Sports brands didn’t miss the gaming revolution, but many are still misplaying it. Over the past decade, leagues, sponsors and marketers have poured...

18.06.2026 5

Sports Business Journal

Alexander Albrecht

The global game has outpaced the talent pipeline

The sports industry has gone global. Its talent pipeline hasn’t. That gap is no longer theoretical. It’s showing up in how organizations hire, how...

17.06.2026 9

Sports Business Journal

Matt Difebo

Facility security: From crisis to continuity

It’s not if, it’s when. In live sports, leaders spend months planning for moments that fans hope never happen. The reality is that crises,...

16.06.2026 10

Sports Business Journal

Anna Reahl

Rise of the athlete creator: Legal and business implications for the new era sports

For decades, the business of sports operated on a familiar model: athletes performed on the field, court or track, while leagues, teams, broadcasters...

15.06.2026 10

Sports Business Journal

Doug Masters And Seth Rose

The ‘prove it’ culture: What women’s sports can teach us about the disability market

As the sports industry recognizes Disability Pride Month in July — marking the 36th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities...

15.06.2026 10

Sports Business Journal

Dawna Callahan

The AI era has a trust problem. Sports has to solve it

The sports industry has weathered every technological disruption thrown at it. TV didn’t kill stadiums, the internet didn’t kill broadcasts, and...

12.06.2026 10

Sports Business Journal

Kerry bradley

Streaming is half of TV now. Sports is the hardest part of that half

Streaming is no longer a fast-growing category within the broader realm of TV viewing. It is increasingly the main way people watch. Consider:...

11.06.2026 10

Sports Business Journal

Steve Miller-Jones

U.S. Soccer has one job post-World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest commercial event in American soccer history. It is projected to generate roughly $17.3 billion in domestic...

10.06.2026 10

Sports Business Journal

Brando babini and jackson ten oever

The Memory Effect: Not a seat, but a story

What’s the best live event you’ve ever attended? Not the most expensive ticket you’ve purchased. Not the best seat you’ve ever had. The one...

09.06.2026 9

Sports Business Journal

Paul caine

Stadium tech in 2026: How venues are monetizing first-party data and in-venue fan moments

Today’s arenas are no longer simply places to watch games. They are live commercial environments built to connect fans, reduce friction, and convert...

08.06.2026 9

Sports Business Journal

Aaron k. tantleff

The sports market may not be your business, and that’s OK

A few years ago, we had a front-row seat to something most executives in the sports industry get wrong. Springbok Analytics, a company we worked with...

08.06.2026 9

Sports Business Journal

Jeff Angus

Reflections of a year of structural shift: Modernizing college athletics without losing the academic mission

As my 2025-26 term as president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on...

04.06.2026 10

Sports Business Journal

Sean t. frazier

Sports are becoming an advertiser’s playpen

With one week until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, host cities are being rapidly reconfigured into...

03.06.2026 9

Sports Business Journal

Bob mccuin

Full-court protection: WNBA’s new CBA addresses pregnancy retaliation

On March 20, after months of deadlock, the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) reached a tentative...

02.06.2026 10

Sports Business Journal

Alison hagani

Beyond sponsorships: How companies can build brand visibility around sports events

Miami has established itself as one of the world’s premier destinations for major sporting events. From international tennis and Formula 1 racing to...

01.06.2026 10

Sports Business Journal

Victoria cela goudie and wylie nelson

How can I get started in the sports industry?

Practically everyone who reads this publication gets (or asks) that question. To help the aspiring during this graduation season, and assist...

01.06.2026 10

Sports Business Journal

Ed Desser And John Kosner