Is the relationship between sport and business a healthy one in 2015?

Sports and business have always been close partners. On one side you have the talented athletes and their fans, while on the other side are the men and women that manage, promote, protect, etc., the athletes and their industry. Athletes need to be able to dedicate their attention to their performance and training so that they can make their sport the best it can be. The business managers make this possible.

Keeping it in perspective

All too often in the news, the emphasis is on the pay of sports players rather than on the greatness of the sport itself. When a sport seems to be “all about the money,” it can cease to be as fun and entertaining as it once was. Sports promoters and business managers have the challenge of refocusing the media’s eye on what is truly important about a sport. At the same time, sports managers have shareholders to answer to. This means they are often torn between what is best for the sport and what is best for profits and growth of the business. Unfortunately, good management does not always have the biggest impact on athletic performance. Studies have shown that larger salaries do in fact encourage athletes to perform better. This is no different than any other job. It is not surprising that a more significant reward leads to better performance results. Still, without sports business managers organising finances and investments, marketing to fans, etc., it would make it harder to provide larger salaries and more incentive to perform well and keep the attention and adoration of fans from all over the world.

Sporting success

The right business management can take a sport from low levels of fans and revenue to outstanding success. Football clubs are a perfect example. Just look at how Manchester United has gained in popularity over the years. Formula One used to be no more than a motor club, but it is easy to see from the bio of Max Mosley on FIA.com that he and a few founding members saw the potential for motor racing with sport fans and undertook years of promoting the sport and building it up to what it is today.

During his FIA presidency, Mosley also tried to influence road safety in general as well as improving safety in motor sport. He was also responsible for organising an FIA office in Brussels to enable the organisation to influence motoring policy at the heart of Euro politics. This led to his appointment as honorary president of the European Parliament Automobile Users’ Intergroup. During his time in that post, Mosley created the Expert Advisory Safety Committee to conduct research into improving motor sport safety.

The future of sports and business

Sports and business will continue to be close partners in the future. The sports industry cannot flourish and run efficiently without managers that can look out for players and fans alike. While some sports may become more popular than others over the years, there will always be a need for good management and marketing. At one time, many people would have said that skateboarding and snowboarding would never be popular enough to be an Olympic sport. Those sports are now prime examples of how taste in sports can evolve and change over the years.