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# The Long Game

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [The next billion-dollar format will be born on Roblox](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/the-next-billion-dollar-format-will-be-born-on-roblox/) - Where will the next major sport come from, and how will it capture mainstream appeal? For those with an intimate knowledge of the digital space, there’s one clear answer.
- [Distribution over dollars: Football's new revenue model](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/distribution-over-dollars-footballs-new-revenue-model/) - Emerging challenger leagues are forsaking media deals to prioritise distribution. Is it financially viable? And what's in it for the brands involved?
- [10 cultural collaborations that would change the game](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/10-cultural-collaborations-that-would-change-the-game/) - To remain at the forefront of culture, sport needs to immerse itself with the culture. And we're not talking about inauthentic money grabs.
- [An international love affair ](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/an-international-love-affair/) - As leagues find themselves battling for eyeballs, nurturing fans overseas has become an increasingly essential strategy. But what can a league actually do about it?
- [The 2026 Calendar](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/the-2026-calendar/) - Your gateway to pivotal events and unforgettable sporting milestones in 2026. The 2026 sporting calendar is brought to you in partnership with DOWNLOAD THE CALENDAR
- [Who should govern the game?](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/who-should-govern-the-game/) - As more competitive action is added to the sporting calendar – and burnout becomes an increasingly hot topic – governance is once again in sharp focus. Will the athletes ever have real input?
- [Ones to Watch 2026](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/ones-to-watch-2026/) - Each year, the editorial team at SportBusiness highlight the specific sports and storylines that they think are most worth keeping an eye on in the year ahead. From the future of direct-to-consumer channels, to a niche Chinese sport you've probably never heard of, here are our Ones to Watch. This piece is produced in partnership
- [What comes next for sport?](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/introducing-the-long-ga/) - The Long Game is SportBusiness’ big picture look at what comes next for sport. A project we began in 2024, it’s a series of ideas, visions and musings that aim to tackle the question of what sport could – and should – be doing to remain at the forefront of culture in the 21st century.
- [Athlete syndicates: Redefining ownership in sport](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/athlete-syndicates-redefining-ownership-in-sport/) - With the continued rise of athlete syndicates in sport investment, it's time to question just where this might end up – and how sport will be affected.
- [Global media rights: State of play](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/global-media-rights-state-of-play/) - Though the direction of travel for global sports media rights is still up and to the right, that's being driven by a few major properties.
- [The official partner is dying. What comes next?](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/the-official-partner-is-dying-what-comes-next/) - The official partner has shaped the history of sponsorship in sport. But in a digital-first, results-driven advertising world, the model needs a major rethink.
- [Athlete value won’t be negotiated – it will be calculated](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/athlete-value-wont-be-negotiated-it-will-be-calculated/) - Brand power, cultural relevance and real-time influence will now drive value – and the smartest athletes are measuring that themselves.
- [Women's sport at the heart of growth for NEOM and Saudi Arabia](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/womens-sport-at-the-heart-of-growth-for-neom-and-saudi-arabia/) - NEOM’s drive to expand women’s sports is fuelling unprecedented opportunities in Saudi Arabia.
- [5 reasons why venue-anchored mixed-use developments are vital for sport's future](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/5-reasons-why-venue-anchored-mixed-use-developments-are-vital-for-sports-future/) - Global design and architecture firm Populous explains why mixed-use developments are more vital than ever for urban regeneration, fan engagement and financial sustainability.
- [Concacaf eyes Fifa World Cup legacy amid new era of trust and discipline](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/concacaf-eyes-fifa-world-cup-legacy-amid-new-era-of-trust-and-discipline/) - Concacaf has undergone a complete transformation over the past decade, establishing the foundations for a bright future.
- [AI brands bring dual benefits to F1 rights-holders ](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/ai-brands-bring-dual-benefits-to-f1-rights-holders/) - The influx of AI companies is changing F1’s sponsorship landscape – and providing multiple benefits to rights-holders.
- [Lessons from a dream](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/lessons-from-a-dream/) - Dream11 cracked fantasy sports in India with a staggering rise. Though that appears to be at an end, plenty can be learned from the story behind the success.
- [The drama dilemma](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/the-drama-dilemma/) - Despite women’s sport’s commercial momentum, one major aspect is holding it back. Here's why brands and rights-holders need to embrace the chaos.
- [F1's female future](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/f1s-female-future/) - Female fans are the fastest-growing segment of F1’s audience, yet the sport has yet to cater for them properly. Here's how to change that.
- [America's game: The NBA’s struggle to reach its global potential](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/americas-game-the-nbas-struggle-to-reach-its-global-potential/) - The NBA is the closest thing America has to a global sports league. The last five NBA MVPs are from Greece, Serbia and Cameroon, while the league’s next great player – 19-year-old Victor Wembanyama – is French. Much like football, basketball is the world’s game. Hotbeds across Europe and Asia are producing more top-level talent
- [Cosy vibes: The overlooked world of second-screen content](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/cosy-vibes-the-overlooked-world-of-second-screen-content/) - In The Poetics of Space, French philosopher Gaston Bachelard observed that “we comfort ourselves by reliving memories of protection”, filling our homes with sights and sounds from childhood.
- [The power of chat: Can sport adapt to the death of passive viewing?](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/the-power-of-chat-can-sport-adapt-to-the-death-of-passive-viewing/) - Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was wrong about the European Super League being a panacea for football's problems. He was probably wrong about signing Kylian Mbappe. But, at least in part, he was right about 90-minute football matches being too boring for young people to watch. If you teach, coach, or have a child of
- [New formats and new thinking for the future of sport](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/americas-game/) - Vincent Schatzmann, General Secretary of CIES, assesses the challenges and opportunities facing the sports leaders of tomorrow. From shifting consumer behaviours to sustainability trends and technological innovations, the evolving nature of sport ensures the industry never stays still for long. The tools required to equip executives of tomorrow, therefore, are changing – and Vincent Schatzmann,
- [True to its name: TEAM Marketing doubles down on people-first strategy](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/true-to-its-name-team-marketing-doubles-downon-people-first-strategy/) - Across three eventful decades, TEAM Marketing has established itself as one of the sports marketing sector’s most dynamic and respected businesses. Now, determined to take the company to the next level, CEO Simon Crouch is re-energising the firm by focusing on its talent. Following a strategic review in 2022, TEAM’s new guiding vision is to
- [Making a name: Sela’s expanding vision](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/making-a-name-selasexpanding-vision/) - Sela is broadening its horizons with high-profile collaborations that are providing solid foundations for future growth. The Long Game delved into Sela’s future outlook with two of the company’s key figures. Saudi Arabian entertainment and hospitality company Sela has embodied the growth of its nation in recent years – and is now hungry to expand
- [How sport is a key driver in supporting NEOM’s innovative plans](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/how-sport-is-a-key-driver-in-supporting-neoms/) - NEOM will present a new way of living when it opens fully in Saudi Arabia. The managing director of NEOM Sport, Jan Paterson, explains how variety is at the heart of the strategic planning. Few destinations capture a vision of the future quite like NEOM, the $500bn regional development taking shape in northwest Saudi Arabia.
- [Neom’s mission for a thriving global sports landscape](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/neoms-mission-for-a-thriving-global-sports-landscape/) - NEOM, a region in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea, is being built as a future hub of human progress.
- [How to Solve a Problem Like Iga: The battle to build Eastern European superstars](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/how-to-solve-a-problem-like-iga-the-battle-to-build-eastern-european-superstars/) - The best tennis player you’ve never heard of is from somewhere in central or eastern Europe. She might be called Anastasia Myskina, or Svetlana Kuznetsova. It could be Jeļena Ostapenko, Markéta Vondroušová or Elena Rybakina. She will be a grand slam champion – likely multiple times over. She will be an unstoppable force faced with
- [A roof over our heads: Can stadium tech save outdoor sport from climate change?](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/a-roof-over-our-heads-can-stadium-tech-save-outdoor-sport-from-climate-change/) - Levi’s Stadium had only been operating for a day before San Francisco 49ers fans noticed something was terribly wrong. Levi’s Stadium had only been operating for a day before San Francisco 49ers fans noticed something was terribly wrong.
- [Foam, glorious foam: The wearable tech moving markets](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/foam-glorious-foamthe-wearable-tech-moving-markets/) - The Long Game peeks inside the minds of leading sports product innovators and marketers that are imagining the future of sports footwear and apparel.
- [Streetwear wars: Football’s bid to usurp basketball as the king of the street](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/streetwear-wars-footballs-bid-to-usurp-basketball-as-the-king-of-the-street/) - For decades, basketball has dominated sport’s contributions to streetwear. But through a wave of retro shirts and modern design, football is gaining ground. For decades, basketball has dominated sport’s contributions to streetwear. But through a wave of retro shirts and modern design, football is gaining ground.
- [Growing pains: The fight to fuel commercial growth in women’s football](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/growing-pains-the-fight-to-fuel-commercial-growth-in-womens-football/) - There’s been a persistent narrative around women’s football that the sport is in its ‘startup’ phase.
- [Life after sports: Three industry veterans tell their tales of the road less travelled](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/life-after-sportsthree-industry-veterans-tell-their-tales-of-the-road-less-travelled/) - Tomas Planken, as told to Callum McCarthy I already had a share in a race-bike rental business when I started my role at IMG, but it was a very small side business, just to have fun and explore entrepreneurship. When I left IMG, I bought my partner out and started growing it. We had about
- [Spotlight on sponsorship: The IPL - more room to grow](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/spotlight-on-sponsorshipthe-ipl-more-room-to-grow/) - The Indian Premier League domestic franchise cricket tournament has plenty of opportunity to continue growing on the sponsorship front.
- [Influence, control, ownership: Making sense of the Saudi sports project](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/influence-control-ownership-making-sense-of-the-saudi-sports-project/) - In April 2016, Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud launched Vision 2030.
- [Ones to Watch](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/sports-to-look-out-for-in-the-year-ahead-formula-1/) - The sports and events to look out for in the year ahead. Including; climbing, Baller League, F1 Academy, wheelchair rugby league, pickleball, west-coast US sports.
- [Selling the future? Private equity's role in sport](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/selling-the-future-private-equitys-role-in-sport/) - Private equity investment in sports rights-holders – clubs, leagues, federations, promoters – has been exploding since 2020 and seems certain to continue to grow dramatically in the coming years. This article focuses on six private equity companies with live investments in sports rightsholders: Bridgepoint, CVC, Silver Lake, Clearlake, Arctos and Dyal. The first three are
- [Concacaf’s ‘Football First’ revamp reaps early rewards](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/concacafs-football-first-revamp-reaps-early-rewards/) - Concacaf, the confederation that oversees football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean is looking ahead to two of the biggest years in its history.
- [Women can! Photography from Getty Images sets the scene for a football festival](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/women-can/) - Introducing UEFA Women’s EURO 2025: Breathtaking photography from Getty Images sets the scene for a football festival This photo gallery is presented by Getty Images. Leveraging the expertise of its award-winning sports photographers, industry-leading operations team and skilled photo editors, Getty Images will be providing comprehensive photographic coverage of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 in Switzerland,
- [Embracing the obstacles: A new era begins for modern pentathlon](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/embracing-the-obstacles-a-new-era-begins-for-modern-pentathlon/) - In a sector in which standing still is rarely an option, modern pentathlon has been proactive in transforming its format in an effort to drive engagement and enhance accessibility for younger audiences and participants.
- [The stadium evolution: Building for the future](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/the-stadium-evolution-building-for-the-future/) - Cox Architecture has established a global reputation for its work on stadium projects that stretches far beyond its studios across Australia and New Zealand. With a portfolio that includes Optus Stadium in Perth, Jakarta International Velodrome, Allianz Stadium in Sydney and Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, what is on the horizon?
- [Co-hosted international football tournaments: What the new normal means for football](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/co-hosted-international-football-tournaments-what-the-new-normal-means-for-football/) - International football tournaments are among the anticipated events in any sport fan's calendar. Host nations have created spectacles to behold ever since the first World Cup in Uruguay 93 years ago, and the nostalgia surrounding great competitions gone by fuels excitement at what's to come. But there is significant change on the horizon. So far,
- [The padel phenomenon: The gold-standard for future sports](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/the-padelphenomenon-the-gold-standard-for-future-sports/) - From grassroots to global: how Premier Padel is driving the future of the sport forward with guidance from Pitch International. Exhilarating racket sport padel is taking the world by storm, with millions of players flocking to the game. At the elite end of the sport, the Qatar Sports Investments backed Premier Padel tour is working
- [College football’s inevitable march to a national super league](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/college-footballs-inevitable-march-to-a-national-super-league/) - Collegiate athletics in the United States are unlike anything else in American sport. Tens of millions tune in and millions more attend stadiums every college football Saturday to watch student athletes play for America’s immovable sports institutions: universities. These teams are not franchises. They will not relocate. They are unique in the cut-throat, corporate landscape
- [India’s Gen Z are driving the future of sports consumption](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/indias-gen-z-are-driving-the-future-of-sports-consumption/) - You might have noticed that India has changed. It is no longer a plucky, postcolonial underdog. It’s where the future of our industry is being shaped by an educated, confident, ambitious generation convinced that we are living in the Indian century. India has more than 1.4bn people. Half of them are under 30. And it
- [What if Erling Haaland could sing?](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/what-if-erling-haaland-could-sing/) - Exploring the limits of the sports x culture crossover In another universe, Haaland could be so much more. His elvish features and freakish dimensions would be an avant-garde designer’s dream. His modest musical talent and immense fame among young people would be enough to secure collaborations with the world’s biggest artists. An acerbic personality and
- [WEB 3 in sport: Innovation in search of utility ](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/web-3-in-sport-innovation-in-search-of-utility/) - For a technology that seems so new, Web3 has in one sense already lived a full life – and then died suddenly. For a casual sports fan, who has never actually engaged with a Web3 product, that life has played out on the electronic billboards that surround football pitches and the corporate logos on team
- [Adapt or die: Rugby union’s existential threat](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/adapt-or-die-rugby-unions-existential-threat/) - The end of 2023 sees rugby union still basking in the afterglow of a highly successful World Cup. Casual fans flocked back to the sport – as evidenced by huge viewership across the sport’s major markets – and the mood around the sport is positive for the first time in a long time. The tournament’s
- [The impossible job: The IOC’s bid for year-round Olympic relevance](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/the-impossible-job-the-iocs-bid-for-year-round-olympic-relevance/) - Paris 2024 promises to break new records for the world’s biggest multi-sport event. Over 11,000 hours of broadcast content will be produced. Digital engagement, impressions and linear audiences for rights-holding broadcasters will surge given a more favourable time zone. New additions such as skateboarding and surfing will return, having given the Games a much-needed refresh
- [The fall of the American sports monopoly](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/middle-easterns-incursion-in-sports-the-fall-of-the-american-sports-monopoly/) - Americanoun/əˈmer.ɪ.kə/ For decades the international model of the sports industry. A market ofinsurmountable value and infinite opportunity. Home of the NFL, NBA, MLB and mostrecently the MLS. Birthplace of Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Tom Brady and other“GOAT”’s. The place to be for anybody who wants to be somebody within the sportsindustry. Soon, a reminiscence of
- [Is sport a safe space for women?](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/is-sport-a-safe-place-for-women/) - What is it like to be a woman at the decision-making level of global sport? A handful of leading executives exclusively share their experiences, challenges and insights Have you ever felt unsafe in the workplace? RL: I had an internship very early on in my career where there were some people who attempted to make
- [“You're configured to referee!"](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/youre-configured-to-referee/) - Ever since the first match of association football was played in 1872, the adage that referees are incompetent and ruin the spectacle has pervaded. The furore around inept refereeing decisions has forever punctuated football discourse. For years, subjective split-second decisions have been scrutinised to the Nth degree, as fans can’t possibly perceive the idea that
- [Oldies but goldies](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/oldies-but-goldies/) - The grey pound holding up the sports media industry Sport has become gripped by a fear of missing out on a future audience. Everywhere one looks there is existential terror – how can live sport compete with addictive six-second loops? The Fear™ is fuelled by the kind of research published in October by sports
- [Climate change: Sport on a scorched earth](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/sport-on-a-scorched-earth/) - Climate protestors are targeting sport to put global warming at the heart of cultural conversations. So what can rights-holders do to appease them? This October, the hosts of the Alpine World Cup skiing event in Zermatt and Cervinia came up with a memorable solution to the absence of snow on parts of its four-kilometre course.
- [What is the future of sports media?](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/what-is-the-future-of-sports-media/) - As a media professional working in sports production by day and teaching a sports broadcasting course by night, the future of sports media is always on my mind. Due to a meteoric rise in the value of sports broadcasting rights, a rapidly evolving consumer base and a seemingly endless run of technological breakthroughs, it’s an
- [Women's cricket](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/sports-to-watch-womens-cricket/) - “The launch of the Women's Premier League (WPL) by the BCCI was a groundbreaking move, providing brands with a fresh opportunity to connect with an untapped audience and providing an opportunity to a whole new arena of brands to advertise in cricket. While the inaugural season served as a testing ground for sponsors exploring the
- [Arena Golf](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/sports-to-watch-arena-golf/) - “I am excited about arena golf league TGL as a professional golf property, but also as broader innovation for how golf mad amateurs can experience the sport. Led by Tiger Woods & Rory McIlroy owned TMRW Sports and in partnership with the PGA Tour, TGL [now postponed until 2025] has the financial and star power
- [African women’s football](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/sports-to-watch-african-womens-football/) - “African women’s football is one of the most exciting propositions in the African sports portfolio. With exponential growth in fans, eyeballs, and participation levels, it is one of the key assets that is going to be spearheading the growth of African sports within the continent and internationally. It has its challenges; however, the dynamism of
- [Billie Jean King on women’s tennis in MENA](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/sports-to-watch-billie-jean-king-on-womens-tennis-in-mena/) - “When you get a top player, it changes everything, it’s inspirational. If you can see it, you can be it, and that’s what they’re starting to see. They’re starting to see it actually happening to one of their own people, and so all of a sudden they’re saying, Why not me? If she can do

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- [Homepage](https://longgame.sportbusiness.com/) - Distribution over dollars: Football’s new revenue model Emerging challenger leagues are forsaking media deals to prioritise distribution. Is it financially viable? And what's in it for the brands involved? 2026Visions byBen Cronin Visions of what sport could - and should - become.
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