Sports business

By Verónica Guerra de Alberti

Thesports business is an economic sector in constant growth and diversification, driven by the passion of fans, technological advances and globalization. It covers a wide range of activities and actors, from sporting events and broadcasting rights to merchandising, infrastructure and sponsorship. At D’casa we took on the task of giving you an overview of its main areas:

1. Sporting events

• International competitions: Examples such as the Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup or Formula 1 generate billions in revenue thanks to tickets, television rights and sponsors.• Professional leagues: The NFL, NBA, LaLiga or Premier League are leagues with global brands that generate revenue from tickets, broadcasting rights and marketing.

2. Broadcasting rights

• Television networks and streaming platforms pay multimillion-dollar figures to broadcast live sporting events. This has a huge impact on the popularity and sustainability of sports.• Recent example: platforms such as DAZN or Amazon Prime are becoming key players in this market.

3. Sponsorships and advertising

• Brands invest in sponsorship deals with teams, leagues, and athletes, seeking to associate themselves with positive values such as competitiveness, health, and success.• Brands such as Nike, Adidas, or Coca-Cola have built empires around sports marketing.

4. Merchandising and products

• Sale of t-shirts, sports equipment, memorabilia and other official products. This not only generates direct revenue, but also fosters fan loyalty.• Example: Bigger clubs like FC Barcelona or the New York Yankees generate millions from jersey sales alone.

5. Sports infrastructure

• Stadiums, sports complexes, and gyms represent significant investments that attract tourists, events, and related businesses.• Recent trends include multi-use and sustainable stadiums, such as SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

6. Technology and sports

• Technological innovation, such as fitness platforms (Peloton), wearables (Fitbit, Garmin) and data analytics (Moneyball), have transformed the way sport is played, trained and consumed.

7. E-Sports

• Electronic sports (e-sports) have become a new branch of the sports business, with tournaments, leagues and teams generating millions of dollars and attracting young audiences.

8. Sports tourism

• Trips to attend sporting events or practice sports (such as skiing or surfing). It is one of the most dynamic branches of the tourism sector.

And after this brief overview we leave a silver example of the best references of this great sports industry.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Soccer): With revenues of $260 million, most of it comes from his contract with Al-Nassr and advertising deals, cementing him as the highest-paid player in global sport2. Jon Rahm (Golf): The Spaniard accumulated 218 million dollars, boosted by his joining LIV Golf and his participations in high-profile tournaments. He is the only golfer in the top 5.3. Lionel Messi (Soccer): Now an Inter Miami player, he earned $135 million, split between salary and lucrative advertising deals with brands like Adidas and Apple.4. LeBron James (Basketball): With $128.2 million, he leads in income outside of his sport thanks to investments and sponsorships, in addition to his salary with the Lakers.

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Basketball): The Milwaukee Bucks star earned $111 million, balanced between salary and commercial agreements.

This listing highlights the growing influence of sport and the impact of commercial agreements and emerging leagues such as LIV Golf on athletes’ earnings, so my recommendation for future parents is to pay special attention to sports activities for their children, you never know where the next Cristiano is.