State of the global industry (fans, revenue, technology)

Overview

This course examines the current state of the global sports industry through the lenses of fans, revenue models, and technology. Learners will explore how sport evolved from traditional business foundations into a complex, diversified, and data-driven industry shaped by media, sponsorship, digital platforms, and new consumption habits.

The course explains how historical models based on ticketing and media rights are giving way to hybrid and data-centric approaches. It also analyzes how fan profiles have become more fragmented, connected, and demanding across generations, creating new challenges and opportunities for sports organizations.

Finally, learners will discover how technology is reshaping both on-pitch performance and off-pitch business transformation, from Moneyball and tracking systems to AI-powered fan engagement and decision-making. By the end of the course, participants will have a clear understanding of the major structural shifts transforming sport today and the forces likely to define its future evolution globally.

Syllabus

• Set the Scene and Intros - Current Status
Trace the journey of sports from local recreation to professional enterprise. This module examines the commercialization timeline from the early 20th century through today, exploring how media and sponsorship money transformed sports into a lucrative industry, and why the sector remained resistant to technological change despite rapid evolution in other entertainment industries.
• First Change - How Fans Are Becoming More Diversified and Complex?
Understand the profound shift in fan demographics and behaviors. This module analyzes how the traditional homogeneous fan base has evolved into a complex, diversified ecosystem shaped by generational divides, digital technology, and changing entertainment consumption patterns, creating new challenges and opportunities for sports organizations.
• Second change - A shaken business model
Examine the evolution of sports revenue models from ticketing dominance to media rights dependency and beyond. This module explores how organizations are diversifying income streams through sponsorship, merchandising, hospitality, and real estate, while ultimately transitioning toward data-centric business models that leverage fan insights for competitive advantage.
• Third change - The underpinning element for a shaken industry: technology (and so new consumption habits) transforming sports today
Discover how technology is revolutionizing sports both on and off the field. This module covers the transformation from early analytics and GPS tracking to AI-powered performance optimization, immersive fan experiences, and intelligent operations, revealing how artificial intelligence is becoming the next major disruption in the sports industry.

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Taught by

Marisa Sáenz

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Subjects

Data Science