Sport, an 8,800 billion economy… under pressure

This spectacular trajectory is based on several powerful dynamics: the rise of sports tourism, the financialization of franchises, the rise of women’s sport and the rapid growth of emerging markets. But behind this growth lies a structural paradox. Risks linked to physical inactivity and climate change could reduce the sector’s revenues by $1.6 trillion per year by 2050, or nearly 18% of its economic potential.

In other words, the sports economy could be held back by the same social and environmental factors on which it depends.

An increasingly vast economic ecosystem

The global sports economy is no longer limited to clubs and competitions. It now constitutes a complex ecosystem comprising more than fifteen categories of players, ranging from federations to equipment brands, including broadcast platforms, financial services and public authorities.

Four main industries concentrate most of the value:

Professional and elite sport is worth around $140 billion, driven by media rights, commercial partnerships and event-related revenues. Participatory sport and physical activity are worth around $560 billion, including fitness, amateur practices and mass events. The sporting goods market reaches $614 billion, while sports tourism is the largest segment at $672 billion.

Added to these pillars are several related industries – broadcasting and streaming, gaming, sports nutrition, wearable technologies or specialized services – which generate around 300 billion additional dollars linked to sports.

In mature economies such as the United States, the United Kingdom or the European Union, sport represents between 2% and 4% of GDP and one in twenty-five jobs.

The impact even goes beyond the direct scope of the industry. The report highlights, for example, that corporate well-being and physical activity policies could generate up to $11 trillion in additional economic value through improved employee productivity.

Sports tourism, the main engine of growth

Among the major trends that are reshaping the sports economy, sports tourism appears to be the main engine of growth.

In 2025, it already represents 10% of global tourism spending, with average annual growth of 28% since the Covid-19 pandemic, significantly higher than the rest of the travel sector.

This dynamic can be explained by the proliferation of major events and the rise of immersive sporting experiences. International marathons, endurance competitions and outdoor events now attract a global audience. The 2024 New York Marathon welcomed more than 17,000 international runners from 137 countries.

Major competitions are also transforming into global experiences combining sport, entertainment and tourism, with fan zones, “play-and-watch” packages and enriched event formats.

Sport becomes an asset class

Another major transformation: the rise of sport as an investment asset class.

For several years, transactions in the sector have multiplied, attracting sovereign funds, venture capital, media groups and institutional investors. The most emblematic example remains the record valuation of the Los Angeles Lakers at $10 billion in 2025, a symbol of the growing financialization of sports franchises.

The number of sports-related transactions now exceeds a thousand per year, an unprecedented level.

This attractiveness is based on several factors: the increase in the value of media rights, the convergence between sport, technology and entertainment, as well as the internationalization of audiences.

The explosion of women’s sport

Women’s sport also constitutes one of the most dynamic segments of the sports economy.

Global revenues are expected to reach $2.35 billion in 2025, more than triple the level seen in 2022.

Football and basketball represent around 80% of this revenue, driven by investments by federations and the rise in media visibility.

The 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand illustrates this potential: it attracted more than two billion viewers and generated $1.9 billion in economic contribution, while boosting the practice of football in the host countries.

Emerging markets are redrawing the sports map

The growth of sport is gradually shifting to emerging economies.

Africa, Asia and the Middle East are investing heavily in sports infrastructure, events and ecosystems. India plans to increase the value of its sports sector to $130 billion by 2030, while China is targeting $985 billion for its sports industry by the same deadline.

At the same time, Gulf sovereign funds are increasing investments in international leagues and clubs, accelerating the globalization of the market.

Threats to growth

Despite these favorable prospects, the sports economy faces two systemic risks.

The first is the rise in physical inactivity. Nearly a third of adults and up to 80% of young people do not meet physical activity recommendations.

If this trend continues, the consumer and practitioner base could decline by 800 million people by 2030, weakening the entire sports value chain.

The economic cost is already considerable. Inactivity is expected to generate $300 billion in health spending between 2020 and 2030.

The second risk is environmental. The sports economy is highly dependent on stable climatic conditions: more than 90% of media rights and 76% of sponsorship revenues from professional sport are linked to sports played outdoors.

Extreme weather events are already disrupting competitions, infrastructure and participation. The report cites in particular the heat waves which caused a 40% abandonment rate during the women’s marathon of the World Athletics Championships in Qatar, or the forest fires in Canada which led to the cancellation of matches in several American leagues.

At the same time, sport itself contributes to environmental pressures. Sports industries generate between 400 and 450 million tonnes of CO₂ per year, mainly from travel, infrastructure and equipment production.

Three levers to transform the sports economy

Faced with these challenges, the World Economic Forum proposes three axes of transformation to reconcile economic growth, public health and sustainability.

The first consists of improving the management of natural resources, in particular through the reduction of water consumption and the development of circular models in the manufacturing of sports equipment.

The second aims to integrate sport at the heart of urban planning. Cities, which will represent 70% of the world population in 2050, can encourage physical activity by developing green spaces, accessible infrastructure and active mobility.

The third lever is based on the mobilization of private and public capital to finance sports projects with social and environmental impact.

An industry at a turning point

The global sports economy is therefore at a pivotal moment in its development. Its future growth will depend less on traditional commercial expansion and more on its ability to increase sports participation and reduce its environmental footprint.

If this transformation succeeds, sport could become one of the engines of sustainable prosperity, capable of combining economic performance, public health and protection of ecosystems.

Otherwise, current trends could gradually weaken one of the most influential cultural and economic sectors on the planet.

Alain Jouve