The Geopolitical Economy of Sport

This is the first book to define and explore the geopolitical economy of sport - the intersection of power, politics, money, and state interests that both exploit and shape elite sport around the world. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the global response, and the consequent ramifications for sport have put the geopolitical economy of sport front and centre in both public debate and academic thinking. Similarly, the Winter Olympics in Beijing and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar illustrate the political, economic, and geographic imperatives that shape modern sport. This book brings together studies from around the world to describe this new geopolitical economy of sport, from the way in which countries use natural resource revenues, accusations of sport washing, and the deployment of sport for soft power purposes, to the way in which sport has become a focus for industrial development. This book looks at the geopolitical economy of sport across the globe, from the Gulf States' interests in European soccer to Israel seeking to build a national competitive advantage by positioning itself as a global sports tech start-up hub, and the United States continuing to extend its economic and cultural influence through geopolitical sport activities in Africa, Latin America, and the Indian subcontinent. This book captures a pivotal moment in the history of sport and sport business. This is essential reading for any student, researcher, practitioner, or policymaker with an interest in sport business, the politics of sport, geopolitics, soft power, diplomacy, international relations, or international political economy.

Simon Chadwick is Professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy at Skema Business School in Paris, France, where he is also a member of its Publika think tank and Director of its Global Executive MBA in Sport. Chadwick's work combines his global interests in sport, geography, politics, and economics, meaning that his current research is focused on, for example, ownership and sponsorship in football by state-owned corporations. He has worked extensively in sport with clubs, governing bodies, commercial partners, and governments. Paul Widdop is Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester, UK. His research explores social and economic networks around the consumption and production of sport. He has published widely in the areas of sport and culture including articles in the Journal of Consumer Culture, Cultural Sociology, Cultural Trends, Electoral Studies, and the Journal of Political Marketing. Widdop serves on the editorial board of several academic journals and is co-founder of the Football Collective, a learned society of academics researching impacts of football on society. Michael M. Goldman is Professor with the Sport Management Program at the University of San Francisco, USA, while also working with the Gordon Institute of Business Science in South Africa. He works with students, managers, and clients to enhance their abilities to acquire, grow, and retain profitable customers and fans.

1. Introduction: Towards a Geopolitical Economy of Sport, Part I: Russia and Ukraine, 2. Athletes' Early Responses to the War Against Ukraine, 3. Sport Sanctions Against Invasive Russia, 4. What Future for Putin's Sport Power?, 5. Governance Dysfunction in World Sport: Issues Raised by the Conflict in Ukraine, 6. Public Remembering of Sochi 2014 at a Time of War: The Kremlin's Soft Disempowerment through Sport, 7. Transnational Leagues and Their Role in Projecting Soft Power, Part II: China, 8. The International Paralympic Committee, Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games, and the Invasion of the Ukraine, 9. Israel's Winter Sports Diplomacy and Beijing 2022, 10. The Global Sporting Power Elite: Eileen Gu, 11. China's Moves to Influence the Geopolitical Economy of Sports: The Three Axe Strokes, 12. Making of (Not Only) a Sports Superpower: The Chinese Dream, 13. Chinese Super League: Soft Power, Investment, and Sustainability, 14. Doing Sports Business in China: Still a Slam Dunk?, Part III: The Gulf and South Asia, 15. Qatar and the 2022 FIFA World Cup: Soft Power, State Branding, or Nation Building?, 16. Geopolitics of Sport in the MENA Region, 17. Sport and Saudi Arabia: Mimetic Isomorphism, Soft Power, and Disempowerment, 18. Sport Washing and the Gulf Region: Myth or Reality?, 19. Geopolitics of Cricket in India, Part IV: Africa, 20. Africa in the Global Football Business Complex, 21. The NBA's Partnership with Rwanda, Part V: Football, 22. The Politics of Alternative Football: Curious Friends, 23. The Conjunctural Politics of the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup: United 2026, 24. The Attempted Reshaping of the Turkish Football Landscape under the AK Party: A Transaction Cost Economics Explanation, 25. Football and the City: A Sports Place Branding Perspective of Barcelona and Manchester, 26. The European Super League and Football's Privatization, Part VI: Motorsport, 27. Sport Governance, Geopolitical Change, and Organizational Resilience: The Case of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), 28. The Geopolitics of Money Versus Morals: Location, Location, Location of the Formula 1 Race Calendar, 29. The End of Oil?: Formula One's Changing Face, Part VII: Peace, Diplomacy, and Society, 30. Sport, Geo-Politics, and the Peace Process, 31. Sports Diplomacy in the Pacific Region and the Sino-Australian Great Game, 32. Sports, Race, and Cosmopolitanism, 33. Transgender Sport Bans Come for Elite Sport: Federations' New Attempt to Define Womanhood, Part VIII: Implications, 34. What the Cases of Gazprom, the NBA, and Qatar Mean for Sport Industry Decision-Makers