Over the past three decades, we’ve seen a growing number of sports events undergo a transformation — from most traditional fixtures, such as Wimbledon, the Masters in golf, the FIFA World Cup, as well as newer events created with the intention of being global brands baked in, like ESPN’s X Games or Ice Cube’s BIG3 League. Even the International Olympic Committee now has a brand book, underlining the shift.

But creating a brand from an event is not easy. For every success story there’s one that has quietly disappeared. The FA Cup tried to replicate the Premier League’s brand success and failed. The Tour de France has the yellow jersey as shorthand, but attempts to build a lifestyle brand around it never took hold. The Davis Cup keeps trying but has not broken through as ‘tennis’s World Cup’. The reason some events succeed where others fail is that they move beyond being a set of rules and fixtures, towards becoming something that has a lasting impression and fosters long-term engagement.

The first step is to move away from the insider’s mindset. Most events are built perfectly for participants, officials, and dedicated fans, but that isn’t enough to sustain a brand further afield. To grow, organisers need to look at the event from the outside in. Why would someone who has never played your sport, or has no prior connection, care about........

© Sports Business Journal