Industry Confidential, Volume 5, Issue 5

INDUSTRY CONFIDENTIAL

Check in every issue for the unfiltered thoughts of our guest writers and contributors as they discuss the hottest topics in sports tourism.

In this issue, our guest writer discusses the subject of Bridging the Gap: Partnership vs Client

In recent years, there has been a global surge of new sports leagues, teams, and events. There are expanded offerings from traditional leagues, more women’s professional leagues, new formats in established sports, and niche sports looking to capture the public’s attention. This growth is being driven by several trends. Ratings, attendance, investment- including private equity, and valuations to name a few. There are also more digital distribution channels, such as streaming services and social media, enabling direct access to fans.

Traditional leagues are looking to expand their offerings to capture more attention from existing fans, reach new fans, and provide more opportunity for revenue, such as with media rights and advertising. This is evidenced in the partnership between five national governing bodies to create the United Sports Collective. This collective unifies their commercial rights to create a singular platform.

One thing has become abundantly clear, the global sports industry is professionalizing, with heightened stakes and increasing investment in talent, analytics, and participant and attendee experiences. This transformation is not limited to top leagues but extends to the very core of our sports tourism world. The stakes are higher than ever, and sport organizations must adapt to meet increased financial expectations. We must build stronger front offices, compete for and develop top talent, leverage data and analytics strategically, and develop new organizational competencies.

In 2025, amidst an arms race in sport tourism facilities and grant programs, scrutiny and accountability is at an all-time high as we aim to maximize our return on investment. In this dynamic landscape, a growing number of sports, rights holders, and host destinations are vying for time and attention. New sport experiences, beyond the venue, could redefine what success means.

In recent years, many sports organizations have expanded their capabilities in collecting, managing, enriching, and monetizing their athletes and event attendees. These statistics allow sports entities to tailor their business strategies to enhance fan engagement, improve live event experiences, secure profitable media valuations, and acquire lucrative sponsorship deals. The financial and cultural success of the sports industry encourages organizations to increasingly take a more professional approach.

Meriam-Webster defines the word client as a person who engages the professional advice or service of another. It also defines a partner as a person with whom one shares an intimate relationship. In sports tourism, not unlike other industries, relationships matter. It is time to move past the client relationship and begin to fully comprehend the foundational pillars on which our partners’ organizations are constructed. This is not a one-way street either. This is not just about how destinations understand rights holders, but a symbiotic relationship between the two, therefore driving key metrics to become partners in success.