Sports Business

The Sports Business Group (SBG) is a society at LSE with the aim of providing a platform for knowledge exchange on sport-related topics.Worth $500 billion, the sports business industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.9% over the next three years. There are a significant number of emerging markets in the industry, including but not limited to eSports, Virtual Reality and athletes as content creators. Combined with the social and economic issues the industry tackles (aiding mental health, gender equality and reducing violence), SBG seeks to further the role of sports business on campus.What was initially an idea among friends became the LSESU Sports Business Group in January 2020. Our group strives to disseminate knowledge on sports-related topics by: Providing a platform for knowledge on sports-related topics Building awareness & advancing the world of sports business through hosting speakers, an annual summit and networking events. Preparing our members to be active professionals in the industryOn March 6th 2020, we hosted Marta Plana (Board Member at FC Barcelona) for our inaugural society event. Plana gave us a presentation on her career entry into the sports business world and the work of FC Barcelona’s innovation Hub. This event was a tremendous success, with a turnout of over 100 students as well as a feature on the FC Barcelona official website.This year, we spoke to over 40 professionals from the sports industry during events that were all open to the public via zoom. We also held our Sports Business Forum, which was the largest UK Univeristy event focusing on the sports industry. All of this was made possible by our brilliant team!We’ve already gained a tremendous student following, with us having over 750 followers across our social media platforms. We’re a committee of 19 like-minded & ambitious undergraduate students who want to provide the best possible experience for our members this year. With 10 different nationalities and 10 different subjects being studied across our committee, the LSESU SBG holds diversity at its core, and we’re looking forward to the years ahead! Membership If you are interested in the sports business industry, our membership will give you the opportunity to attend numerous events and get in contact with experts of the industry, such as top player agents and leaders of major clubs/organizations.Alongside, we will organize social events such as FIFA tournaments, screenings of crucial competitions, and charity tournaments among many others. Our membership includes free members-only events and free or reduced fees events throughout the year.Sport Business Group is also about offering a great atmosphere to make friends and share our passion for sport. Events and Activities Throughout the year we will host a variety of different events. Forum: Our biggest event is our Sports Business Forum in Lent Term. This involves a panel discussion with experts in the industry followed by smaller group workshops led by professionals. Career & Networking Panels: We will host talks, such as career and networking discussion panels, given by leaders in sports business. One example of a talk previously held was with Sir Andrew Strauss, former England Cricket Captain. Our talks will have to do with various aspects of the business, such as a career in the industry, industry trends, life after sport (athlete entrepreneurs), and different sports education pathways (introductions to degrees in Sports Management for future post-grads). Social Events: We are organizing a variety of social events so that our members can meet like-minded people in a more relaxed environment. This would be, for example, FIFA tournaments, pub quizzes, debates, sports events, movies, and documentary screenings. Outreach & Social Campaigns: The SBG is also looking to stay present in the community, not only by fundraising for causes that are close to our members’ hearts, but by looking at the intersection between sports and socio-economic issues (e.g. mental health, gender inequality and racism).This is of course not exhaustive! We are always open to hear what our members want to see and experience, so always let us know if you feel you are missing something.