德勤：2024年体育行业展望

Deloitte.

2024sports

industryoutlook

2

What’sinside

Executivesummary3

Newopportunitiesfromtherapidevolution

ofcommercialmodels4

Sportsorganizationsboostinvestment

infandata6

WarmingupforgenerativeAI8

ParisGamesserveasamodelformega-eventsofthefuture9

Stabilityormoredisruption:Willcollegeathletics

reacha‘newnormal’?11

Signpostsforthefuture12

AboutDeloitte’sOutlooks

Deloitte’s2024outlookforthesportsindustryseekstoidentifythestrategicissuessportsorganizationsshouldconsiderinthecomingyearandtheirimpacts,aswellascriticalquestionstoaskandkeyactionstotake.Thegoalistoequipsportsorganizationswiththeinformationtheyneedtohelppositionthemselvesforastrong,resilientfuture.

2024sportsindustryoutlook

Executivesummary

Lookingbackoneday,thefiveyearsafterthecoronaviruspandemicwillbeseen

asatransformativeperiodintheglobalsportsindustry.Thisperiodwillbemarkedbysignificantchangesintechnological

capabilities,aswellasshiftsinbusinessandcommercialmodelsforsports

leaguesandteams.

Overthepastfewyears,individualathleteshavehaduniqueimpactsonthesportslandscape—withmanyreaching“influencer”status,

speakingopenlyaboutsocialissues,andchangingthewayfanscanconnectdirectlywiththeirfavoritesportsstars.We’vealsoseen

sportsfansthemselveshavinganotableinfluenceonhowsportsareconsumedandmonetized—andhowsportsarewovenintothe

Thesetrendsraisethefollowingquestions:Howwillsports

organizationstransformtheircommercialmodeltomeetthe

increasinglycomplexneedsoftheircustomers,partners,andkeystakeholders?Howwilltechnology,especiallyAI,continuetodisruptthecurrentmodelwhilealsocreatingnewopportunities?Whatwillmega-eventsofthefuturelooklikeastheyaimtobalancecostwithexperienceandlegacy?Howcansportsleaguesandorganizationstapintothepoweroffandatatoboostpartnershipsanddrive

engagement?Whatwillcollegeathleticslooklikein2024—andbeyond—forschools,conferences,andstudent-athletes?

Thefivekeysportstrendsthatweexplorethroughoutthisreport—andtheanswerstothesestrategicquestions—willhavewidespreadimpactsonthesportsindustrythisyear,andformanyyearstocome.

broadermediaandentertainmentecosystem.

Astheglobalsportsindustrycontinuestonavigatethisperiodofmassivetransformation,our2024outlookwillexplorefivetrendssportsorganizationsareexpectedtofaceinthecomingyearandthecorrespondingimpacts.Thisincludesthechangingeconomicsofsports,usecasesforgenerativeartificialintelligence(AI),the

futureofmega-events,investmentsinfandata,andthepotentialfora“newnormal”incollegeathletics.

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2024sportsindustryoutlook

4

Newopportunitiesfromtherapid

evolutionofcommercialmodels

Theoveralleconomicsofthesportsindustryisexpectedto

continuetobestrongin2024.However,thecommercialmodel,

whichhasbeenundergoingsignificantshiftsinrecentyears,willlikelycontinuetotransformacrossbothtraditionalandemergingrevenuestreams.Traditionalareaslikesponsorships,ticketing,

licensing,andmerchandisewilllikelycontinuetoevolvebasedonbettercollection,analysis,anduseoffandata.Emergingtrends—likeagreatervarietyofinvestorsandmediarightsholders,globalization,thegrowthofwomen’ssports,andnewrealestateventures—

couldunlocknewpossibilities.

Evidenceoftheindustry’sstrengthissupportedbythefactthat

teamvaluationscontinuetoclimb—forbothmen’sandwomen’s

sports.In2023,intheUnitedStates,salesrecordswerebrokenintheNationalFootballLeague(NFL),theNationalHockeyLeague

(NHL),andtheNationalBasketballAssociation(NBA).1TheGoldenStateWarriorspaidarecord-settingUS$50millionexpansionfeeforanewWomen’sNationalBasketballAssociation(WNBA)teamthatwillbeginplayingin2025.2Revenuegrowthisalsostrong:AccordingtotheDeloitteFootballMoneyLeague2023,thetotalrevenueforthetop20revenue-generatingEuropeanclubsincreasedby13%,

comparedto2020–21(backtoapre-pandemichigh).3In2024,

sovereignwealthfundsandprivateequityarelikelytocontinue

theirgrowingpresenceinsports,too.TheNFLmaybeconsideringpotentialchangestoitsownershiprulestoallowforinstitutionalinvestmentinsomeform.5

Thevalueofmanyteamsandleaguesisanchoredbylucrative

mediarightsdeals.In2024,we’llseehowthiscompetitivemarketismaturingwithofficialnegotiationsstartingfortheNBAandnewdealsforsomeofEurope’smajorfootballleagues.TheexpectationisthattheNBAwillseeaconsiderableincreaseinthevalueofitsmediarightswithamixoftraditionalbroadcast/cablechannels

andstreamersbidding.6Recently,someEuropeanfootballleagues’domesticmediarightsdealshaveeitherfailedtosubstantially

increasetheirvalueorattractnew,ornontraditional,bidders.7Onthewomen’sside,thetwomajorUSsportsleagues—theNationalWomen’sSoccerLeague(NWSL)andWNBA—recentlysawnew,orexpanded,mediadeals.8In2024,theEnglishWomen’sSuperLeagueislookingtoattractstrongcompetitionforitsmedia

rightsasitrelaunchesforthe2024–25seasonunderanewbusinessstructure.9

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2024sportsindustryoutlook

Mediacompaniesarelookingforastrongreturnoninvestment(ROI)fromtheseincreasinglyexpensivedealsasagrowingnumberof

consumersmovefrombroadcastandcableTVtostreaming.Facedwiththefinancialdifficultiesofregionalsportsnetworks(RSNs),

leaguesandmediacompaniesintheUnitedStatesarefiguringoutnewwaystodeliverlocalsportscoverage.10WarnerBros.DiscoveryislookingtoattractfanstoitsBleacherReportpaidadd-on,partofitsMaxstreamingservice.11Inwhatcouldpotentiallyradicallyreshapethemarket,ESPNislookingtolaunchadirect-to-consumerservicein2025.12Thecostforthisstand-aloneservicecouldbequitehighforconsumers,butifitcouldofferenoughcompellingcontentandact

asanintegratedsportshubforfans,itmaybewellworthit.

Whataboutemergingsportsbusinessareas?In2024,weexpecttoseemoreinterestandactivityfromopportunitiesrelatedto

globalization,women’ssports,andsportsvenueswithmulti-usedistricts.Teamsandleaguesaretryingtobroadentheirglobal

appealthroughinternationalmediarightsdealsandinternationalpartnerships,playinggamesinothercountries,affiliationswithdomesticleagues,andnewmarketingandfanengagement

efforts.13Investors,hopingforlong-termgrowth,areexpectedtocontinuetobedrawntothepotentialstrongupsideforwomen’sleagues14—whicharereportingrecordrevenues,attendance,

andmediarightsdealvalues.15Wealsoexpecttoseenewsportsvenuesopeningin2024thataredesignedtoblendandexpandthein-venueexperienceintosurroundingcommercialand

entertainmentdistricts.16

Strategicquestionstoconsider:

•Asglobalizationexpands,howcanteams,leagues,and

mediacompanieskeepthefocusonsupportinglocalfans?

•Howcanteams,leagues,andmediacompaniesimprovediscoverabilityandreducebarrierstoentrytostrengthenthenextgenerationoffans?

•Isthegrowthinmediarightssustainable?Willstreaming’srecentwoesruboffontheirsportsaspirations?Andifa

breakingpointisreached,whatwouldtheramificationsbe?

•Howcanteams,leagues,andassociationscontinuetodiversifytheirrevenuestreamsandcreateamore

balancedportfolionotsoreliantonmediarights?

Thisisallgreatforownersandinvestors,butwhataboutthefans?

They’reseeingcostsincreaseforbothin-personevents(e.g.,ticket

prices)andwatchingathome(e.g.,streamingsubscriptions).Fansarealsofacedwithafragmentingmedialandscape.Isthereabreakingpoint?Teams,leagues,andmediacompaniesshouldmakesuretheycanreachallfans,atalllevels,andprovideampleopportunitiesfordiscovery—whilestillmeetingtheirfinancialgoals.Withincreasing

competitionforattention,ifthebarrierstoentryforsportsbecometoohighforyoungerfans,theycanjustgoelsewhere.Thinkofitasprovidingyoungerfansapathfromsocialmediatoseasontickets.

2024sportsindustryoutlook

6

Sportsorganizationsboost

investmentinfandata

Sportsorganizationshaveanimportantconnectionwiththeirfanbases,buttheyoftenhavesuperficialorincompleteknowledgeoftheirfans.Someorganizationsmayberelyingheavilyonmultiplesecond-orthird-partydatasourcesforindirectinformationabouttheirfans.17Othersmayhaveaccesstofirst-partydataabout

theirfans,butit’sscatteredacrossplatforms,systems,teams,ordepartments.18Movingforward,weexpecttoseemanysportsorganizationsandleaguesputsignificanteffort—andinvestment—intoaggregatingandmanagingtheirownextensivefandata

programsandbuildingproprietaryfandatabases.

Considerthefollowingscenario:FanApurchasestheireventticketthroughanonlinereseller,buysateamjerseyonanonlinesports

retailer,boastsaboutthatpurchaseonsocialmedia,watchesvideoclipsfrompreviousgamesonawebsite,usesaride-sharingservicetogettothegame,postsselfiesfromthevenuetoanonlineplatform,andordersnachoswithacreditcardinthestadium.FanA’sdatais

likelyscatteredacrossvarioussystemsanddepartmentsanddoesn’tlinktogethertogivetheorganizationacompleteprofileofthatfan.However,therighttechnologystack,databaseinfrastructure,and

data-sharingagreementswithsecondandthirdpartiescouldallowallthesedatapointsforFanAtocometogethertocreateasinglerecord.

Butgatheringfaninsightsmaynotbeenough.Collectingand

aggregatingfanbehavioralandinteractiondata—alongsiderelevantsecond-andthird-partydata—tobuildoutadatabasewithasingle,comprehensiverecordforeachfanisstepone.Usingthedataandmonetizingitissteptwo.

Forstarters,sportsorganizationscanusethisdatatobettertarget

andreachfanswithpersonalizedmarketingmessages,promotions,andfanexperiences—allinthehopesofdrivingengagement,loyalty,andpurchasing.19In2022,theNFLcreatedonecentralizedleaguedatabaseofmorethan20millionfansinanefforttostreamline

andpersonalizeoutreach.20MajorLeagueBaseballusesitsfans’

datatosendpersonalizedpromotionsandnotificationsandto

enhancethein-stadiumexperienceforattendeeswithdirectionsanddiscounts.21AndaccordingtoDeloitteresearch,thisapproachisahomerun:nearly70%ofconsumersaremorelikelytopurchasefromabrandthatpersonalizesitscustomerexperiencecomparedwithabrandthatdoesn’t.22Fortheirpart,consumershavecometoexpectpersonalizedmarketingandcommunicationsfromthebrandsandorganizationstheyinteractwith23—68%ofconsumerssay

personalizationsignificantlyincreasestheirbrandsatisfaction24—andtheirfavoritesportsleaguesandteamsarenoexception.

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2024sportsindustryoutlook

Inadditiontodrivingfanengagementandspending,these

proprietaryfandatabasescanalsosupportemergingrevenue

streamsforleaguesandteamsbysecuringstrongersponsorships,namingrights,andmediarightsdeals.Whenworkingwithsponsorsandadvertisers,theymaywanttoknowwhothefanisandhow

besttoreachthem,alongwithinformationabouttheirmovementaroundthestadiumandtheirin-stadiumpurchases.25Mediapartnerswilllikelywanttoknowaboutorganizations’viewingpopulation

andwhatelsetheymightbedoing,buying,orwatching.Acomplete,proprietaryfandatabasecangivesportsorganizationsthe

knowledgeandinsightstoanswerthosequestionswithrichdata.

Despitetheupsideforsportsorganizations,theseeffortsaren’twithoutchallenges.Thegrowthpotentialforfandatarelieson

continuousdatacollectionandenhancement,marketingtechnologycapabilitiesandprocesses,strongdatagovernance,andreliablerulesforconsentanddataprivacythatcomplywithrelevantlawsandregulations26—allofwhichrequireinvestmentsintechnologyandresources.

Investmentsinfandataarelikelytopayoffforleaguesthrough

improvedROI,increasedfanengagementandloyalty,andstrongerrelationshipswithfuturesponsors,investors,andmediaentities.Creatingarobustprogramaroundfandatahasthepotentialto

beawinningstrategy.

Strategicquestionstoconsider:

•Whatpartnersshouldsportsorganizationscollaboratewithinordertoadvancetheirfandataprogramtomeetthe

needsoftheevolvingsportslandscape?

•Whatisthemonetizationstrategyforfandata,andwhat

capabilitiesneedtobebuiltuptodrivethatstrategyforward?

•Howcanleaguesandteamsresponsiblyworkwithsecond-andthird-partyvendors(andimplementdata-sharingagreements)tobuilddatabasesthatcreateafullprofileoftheirfans?

•Inwhatwayscanleagues,organizations,andsports

ownershipgroupsusefandatabasestoconnect,interact,andengagewiththeirfans—andhowcanloyalandcasualfansalikebepartoftheiroutreachstrategy?

2024sportsindustryoutlook

8

WarmingupforgenerativeAI

Artificialintelligence(AI)hasbeenusedinavarietyofsports-specific

usecasesforseveralyearsnow.Invenues,it’sbeenusedtoimprove

securityandprovidefanscontactlesscheckout.27Forathletes,coaches,trainers,andreferees,it’sbeenusedtohelpimproveperformance,

enhancescouting,preventinjury,andmakeofficiatingmoreobjective.28Forfans,AIispersonalizingthefanexperienceandcreatingabetter

producttowatch.Andforfront-officeoperations,artificialintelligenceisprovidingdeeperinsightsintofanbehavior,drivingticketssales

throughbettermarketing,andsimplifyingcontracting.29

WhengenerativeAIcapturedtheattentionofconsumersand

technologistsalikeinNovember2022,itsparkedwidespread

fascinationandexcitementaroundwhatmightbepossible.Beingabletoquicklyandeasilycreatenewcontent(e.g.,text,speech,

video,code)fromnaturallanguageprompts,generativeAItoolsandapplicationshavethecapabilitytodramaticallyimproveefficiencyandenableworkerstoshiftfromlower-tohigher-valuetasks.Thisgeneral-purposetechnologyisexpectedtoseerapidandpervasiveadoptioninthesportsindustryin2024,makingitcriticalthata

thoughtfulapproachistakentounlockingitsvalue.

Therehavealreadybeensomeexcitingapplicationsofgenerative

AIforsportscontentproduction.GenerativeAItoolshavebeen

usedtoproducenearreal-timetranslationsofbroadcastsand

automatedaudiocommentary.LaLigapartneredwithtechnology

companiestoautomaticallygeneratemultilingualsubtitlesforits

livematches.30IBM,throughitswatsonxplatform,createdaudio

commentarywithouthumanintervention,forvideohighlightsat

boththeWimbledontennistournamentandMastersTournament

golfchampionship.31SomebroadcastersareusinggenerativeAI

torapidlyproducenewcontentfrommillionsofhoursofarchival

videofootage.32Therehavealsobeensomeearlytrialsfocusedonimprovingathleteandteamperformance;afewPremierLeague

clubsarestartingtoexperimentwithgenerativeAItoolstoimprovetheirscouting,enhancedecision-making,andpredictperformance.33

Buttheseexamplesjustbegintoscratchthesurfacewhenit

comestogenerativeAI’spotentialimpactontheindustry.Likedataanalyticsandmachinelearningbeforeit,generativeAIwilllikely

quicklypermeatemanyaspectsofsports.Overthecourseofthenext12–18months,weexpecttoseeagroundswellofinnovativeapplicationsinvolvingcontentgenerationandmanagement,live

sportscoverage,playerevaluation,sportsbetting,fanengagement,andback-officeoperations.

Forfans,generativeAItoolsandapplicationscanbeusedto

createcustomizedvideosandhighlightsoftheirfavoriteteamsand

players,providethemwithpromotionsbasedontheirbehaviors

andinterests,andpowerchatbotsanddigitalavatarstohelpthemengagewithgamecontentinnewways.TheNBA,throughitsapp,isusinggenerativeAItocreateclipsofeveryplayerfromeverygame

tobetterattractandengagefansthroughpersonalization.34InfusinggenerativeAIintothebusinessofsportscoulddrivesignificantvalueaswell.Teams,leagues,andorganizationsareexploringgenerativeAItoolsandapplicationstoenhancecustomerservice,improvesalesandmarketing,createmoreefficienteventandvenuemanagement,andoptimizetheirorganizationaloperations(e.g.,finance,legal,IT).35

Althoughthere’salotofinternalandmarketpressuretoquicklyadoptgenerativeAItoolsandapplications,rushingtheadoptionjourney

maycreateissues.Iforganizationsaretoofocusedonshort-term

efficiencygains,theymaymisstheopportunitytofundamentally

transformhowtheyoperateusinggenerativeAI.Iftheyfocusonlyonthelongterm,theymayriskcedingthecompetitionforcriticaltalenttotheirpeersorrivals.Teams,leagues,andorganizationsshouldlookatwaystoaddressboththeirshorter-andlonger-termneeds—notonlyacrossstrategyandtechnologyinfrastructure,butalsoaroundrisk

management,governance,andtalent.

Strategicquestionstoconsider:

•Withthetechnologyandadoptionmovingsoquickly,howcansportsorganizationsstayontopofchanges,rapidlyexperiment,andscale?

•HowcangenerativeAIcapabilitiesbuilduponexistingAIanddatacapabilitiesforteams,leagues,andorganizations?HowwilltheyneedtoimprovetheircomputinginfrastructureanddataplatformstoeffectivelyusegenerativeAI?

•Howcanorganizationsbestleveragetheirproprietarydataincombinationwithincreasinglycommoditizedlargelanguagemodelstoenhanceandcreatenew

revenuestreams?

•Whatriskmitigationstrategieswillorganizationsneedtobuildtohandleuncertaintiesandunanticipated

consequencesaroundgenerativeAI—liketrustingresults,intellectualpropertyissues,andmultipleregulations?

2024sportsindustryoutlook

9

ParisGamesserveasamodelformega-eventsofthefuture

Mega-events,suchastheICCCricketWorldCup,theOlympic

Games,theRugbyWorldCup,andtheFIFAWorldCup,seemto

beatacrossroads.Ononehand,theworldshouldhaveevents

thatbringpeopletogetheringlobalsolidarityandfairplay.Ontheother,thecomplexityandcostoftheseeventsmaybereachingabreakingpoint.Formega-eventstoremainviableintothefuture,organizersandhostcountriesshouldfindwaystobalancethecostandcomplexityinvolvedinputtingonsucheventswithelementsoflastinglegacy,community,deliveringmemorableexperiences,andincreasingfanengagementforspectatorsinattendance,as

wellasthosewatchingfromhome.Thoughthesegoalsappeartobeatodds,technologyintegrationanddigitalizationmaybekey

toachievingbothobjectivesconcurrently.The2024ParisOlympicGameslooktodeliveronquality,whilemanagingcostsandbalancingcomplexity.Ifsuccessful,theParisGamesmaybeaproofpoint

fortheInternationalOlympicCommittee’s“NewNorm”andmayillustrateanewmodelforthefuture—andpotentialhostcountriesandorganizingcommitteesaroundtheworldwillbewatching.36

It’snosecretthattherearemajorchallengesinvolvedwithhosting

mega-events,includinggeopoliticalissuesandhumanrights

controversies,lowpublicsentimentinhostnations,physicalsecurity

andcybersecurityconcerns,andimpactsofclimatechange,tonameafew.37Butperhapsthemostsignificantchallengetobiddingfor,

andhosting,mega-eventsiscost.Mega-eventshavealong-standing

historyofoverspendingandbuildingwastethatisoftenseenas

unsustainable,botheconomicallyandecologically.38Forexample,

themostrecentsummergamesinTokyoin2021costroughly

US$13billion,whileQatarspentroughlyUS$200billionpreparingto

hosttheFIFAWorldCupin2022.39Bycomparison,thecurrentestimateforthe2024SummerGamesinParisisaroundUS$8billion40—whichmayspeaktotheInternationalOlympicCommittee’s(IOC)focuson

sustainabledevelopmentandfinancialresilience.41Notably,the2024ParisOlympicGameswilluseprimarilypreexistingortemporary

venuesforcompetition,keepingcostsdownandlimitingtheevent’soverallcarbonfootprint.42Thenewbuildings—liketheathletevillageandanaquaticscenter—arebeingdevelopedinSaint-Denis,acityjustoutsideofParis,thatstandstobenefitfromthefacilitiesand

housinglongterm.43Theswimmingfacilityalsocomeswiththe

Olympics-backedSavoirNager(LearntoSwim)programthataims

toteachthousandsofchildrenacrossthecountrytoswim.44

Recently,PolandhostedtheEuropeanOlympicGames,whichhadeventsspreadacross13townsandcities.Itfocusedontheuseandrefurbishmentofexistingvenues,makingitmorecost-efficientthansimilarlysizedevents.45ThoughthebudgetforQatar’sWorldCup

in2022farexceededanyOlympichostnation’sbudget,Qatarbuiltmetrolines,expandeditsairport,anderectedstadiumsintended

tobenefitlocalcommunitieslongafterthecompetition—allinan

attempttoincreasethecountry’sROIanddriveoveralldevelopment.46Similarly,Beijingopenedseveralnewsubwaylinesaheadofhostingthe2008SummerGamesandahigh-speeddriverlesstrainaheadofthe2022WinterGames.47

Movingforward,mega-eventcommitteesandorganizerswilllikely

needtobuildonthesemodelsthatkeepcostsincheckorhavea

longer-termvisiononlegacy,sustainablecommunityinvestments,

reuse,andadjacentcommercializationinmind.Franceitselfisan

interestingcasestudy.Ithashostedseveralmega-eventsinrecenthistory—andcouldhostmoreinthefuture—whichmeansitmaybe

abletobenefitfrominvestmentsininfrastructureandtechnology,aswellasfromindustrialplaybooks,knowledgecapture,andpersonnelexperienceforfuturecompetitions.Futurehostnationsshould

leanonpartnerswhocanhelpthemestablishefficientback-office

operationsandprocesses,ideateonlong-terminvestmentscenariosfortheirlocalities,implementtechnologythatlowersbroadcastingandoperationalcosts,andsetupcybersecuritysystemstoassist

inkeepingeventssafe.Curatinganeffectivepartnershipecosystemcanbeseenasbothanenableranddifferentiatorforeventsuccess.

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2024sportsindustryoutlook

Inadditiontoloweringthecostandcomplexityformega-events,

andincreasingROIforhostcountries,theeventsthemselvesshouldbemoreenergetic,electric,andmemorablethaneverbeforeto

helpcapturewidespreadattention.TheGamesinPariswillhost

beachvolleyballundertheEiffelTower,equestrianatthePalaceofVersailles,andbreakdancinginPlacedelaConcorde48—deliveringaspectacleforfansbeyondtheathleticcompetition.Creatinga

festival-likeenvironment,bolsteredbyotherentertainmentofferings(e.g.,livemusicconcerts,culturalexperiences),shouldboosttourism,engagement,andinterestintheevent.Inaddition,gettingspectatorsandfansinvolvedisakeyrecommendationfromtheIOC49—one

thattheParisGamesishonoringwithamassparticipationOlympicmarathon.50Technologyisexpectedtoplayakeyroleinthisobjective,too:Digitalizationcanhelpmaketheseexperiencesaccessibleto

fans,bothinthecrowdandathome,withenhancedandexpandedbroadcastcoverage,athleteperformancedatadisplayedinrealtime,and“digitaltwins”ofmajorOlympicvenues.51

Futuremega-eventorganizerscanbeassuredthattheseeventscontinuetodrawlargeglobalaudiences,andhostsshouldbuildonthisbyinvestingindigitalexperiencesthatwilldrawacrowd—bothinvenueandathome.Thinkdigitalassetsthatdriveengagementandencourageinteractionwithathletesandteams,virtual

experiencesinthevenuesthatgiveattendeesatasteoftheaction,andbroadcastpartnershipsthatexpandthereachandimpactofthecompetitionglobally.Artificialintelligenceintegrationsarealsoexpectedtobecomecommonplace—revolutionizingsportsbroadcasting,amplifyingdigitalengagementandcampaigns,

andimprovinghowmega-eventsareplannedandorganized.52

Strategicquestionstoconsider:

•Howcanmega-eventorganizerscontinuetoprovidememorable,energetic,andunifyingexperienceswhileoperatingatlowercosts?Whattrade-offscanbemadebetweencostandexperience?

•Whattechnologycanbeutilizedbymega-eventorganizerstomakethegamesmoreaccessible,inclusive,sustainable,safe,andexcitingforathletes,attendees,andviewersathome?HowcanAIbeusedtomaximizetheseeffects?

•Howcandatabecollectedandreusedtoshortenthemega-eventlearningcurveforthehostcitiesandtheirteams,andhowcanpre-designedandbuiltsolutionsbeleveragedtodeliveran“eventinabox”?

•Withmoredata,morefans,andmoreimmersiveexperiencescomesthemandatetoprotectthisdataanddefendthe

covenantoftrust.Howcanbotheventhostsandcitiesinfuseandelevatecybersecuritywithoutdrivingupcostand

inhibitingthefrictionlessexperience?

•Howcandeliberatestrategiesbedevelopedaroundthe“legacy”ofmega-eventsinordertosupportcivicinfrastructure,communitydevelopment,andthe

buildingofmoreinclusivecommunities?

globalaudiencestogetherbereplicated,withminimalcostsandcomplexity?Andhowcantechnologicalcapabilitiesmaketheseeffortsareality?Movingforward,mega-eventsshouldbemoreengaging,morerepeatable,moresecure,andmoresustainablethanpriorevents.Aretheyuptothechallenge?

Butquestionsremain:Howcantheseexperiencesthatbring

2024sportsindustryoutlook

11

Stabilityormoredisruption:Willcollegeathleticsreach

a‘newnormal’?

Fromtheannouncementofcountlessconferencechanges53to

severalrecord-breakingname,image,andlikeness(NIL)deals,54thepastfewyearsincollegeathleticshavebeenfullof