Diversify or Die: Why the Future of Sports is Entertainment argues that sports is no longer just a game. Driven by technology and professional investors, sports has become a global stage converging film, music, fashion, and celebrity culture.
Athletes are creators. Clubs are media brands. Fans are stakeholders. The boundaries are dissolving, and a new entertainment super-sector is taking shape where only those who embrace diversification will thrive.
Professor Sascha L. Schmidt editor of the global bestseller 21st Century Sports once again unites cutting-edge insights from international experts across academia and business. In this collection of essays, they share innovative strategies and concrete examples on how leading clubs, leagues, and media companies embrace diversification while preserving their core identity.
Whether you are a sports executive, an investor, a media strategist, or simply a curious fan, this book is the first roadmap for navigating the future of sports and entertainment, transforming uncertainty into opportunity. Adapt to this entertainment-first era or risk being left behind.

Autorentext

Professor Sascha L. Schmidt is Chair and Academic Director of the Center for Sport and Management at the WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management in Düsseldorf, Germany, and his research focuses on the "Future of Sport". He is also Academic Director of the European Sports Business Program, a lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sports Entrepreneurship Bootcamp and a member of the Digital Initiative at Harvard Business School in Boston.

Inhalt

Part I. Editorial Introduction.- Chapter 1. Why the Future of Sport Is Entertainment (Sascha L. Schmidt).- Part II. The Fan Revolution: From Spectators to Co-Creators.- Chapter 2. Disneyfication: Football's Mickey Mouse Future? (Simon Chadwick).- Chapter 3. Disneyfication of Sports: Reaching Young Fans (John Kosner).- Chapter 4. Leveraging Digital Technologies to Advance Authentic Esports Integrations (Andy Miah).- Chapter 5. Navigating the Convergence of Traditional Sport and Esports in the Digital Age through Horizontal Integration (Kihan Kim).- Part III. The Paradigm Shift: Technology as a Catalyst.- Chapter 6. The Diversification Engine: Strategic AI Applications in Professional Football (Daniel Lugner).- Chapter 7. Data and AI: Driving Revenue Growth for Sports Organizations (Marc Mazodier).- Chapter 8. Football in the Metaverse: A Strategic Playbook for Navigating Emerging Technologies (Gerrit Heidemann).- Part IV. The Paradigm Shift: Investors as a Catalyst.- Chapter 9. Investors Match Plan: How Private Equity Advances the Business Model of Football Clubs (Aljoscha Pagel).- Chapter 10. The Diversification Paradox: The Important Role of the CFO in Navigating Exploration and Exploitation (Martin Carlsson-Wall).- Chapter 11. Scoring Synergies: Diversification Insights from Sports Club Ownership (Julian Hadwiger).- Chapter 12. Multi Club Ownership: Sins and Synergies (Kieran Maguire).- Chapter 13. Diversification through Sports Investments: Insights and Outlook from A Multi-Sports Investor (Luis Vicente).- Part V. Strategic Diversification: New Models, New Markets.- Chapter 14. Eintracht Frankfurt: Building a Legacy Beyond Football (Timm Jäger).- Chapter 15. FC Bayern Munich s Internationalization Strategy: The FCB Pathway that Can Make Dreams Come True (Peter Romics).- Chapter 16. Borussia Dortmund s Diversification Strategy: Unlocking Economic Potential Beyond the Pitch (Alexander Mühl).- Chapter 17. International Diversification of Football Clubs: The Alignment Challenge (Peter Görlich).- Chapter 18. Diversification into Women's Football at Top Football Brands (Julian Hadwiger).- Chapter 19. On Seats, Suites, and Guns N`Roses: Mapping Football Stadium Revenues Diversification Initiatives (Dominik Schreyer).- Chapter 20. DAZN and its Infinity League: Diversification into an Entertainment Brand (Dennis Gottschlich).- Part VI. Outlook.- Chapter 21. After the Paradigm Shift Towards a New School of Entertainment (Sascha L. Schmidt).