Sport Business and Communication: What Opportunities After the 2024 Olympic Games?

It’s undeniable, the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games offered France an exceptional showcase! Beyond athletic performance, these Games highlighted an entire sports economy that is creative, innovative, and deeply rooted in communication.

But what if this momentum is only just beginning? Between Olympic legacy, digital transformation, and major upcoming events, Sport Business is emerging as one of the most promising sectors for graduates of a Master’s or MBA in Communication.

Let’s step into this new era, where sport and communication are reshaping the landscape of a rapidly evolving industry.

A lasting legacy for the regions and key players in French sport

The Paris 2024 Games also left a tangible legacy, far beyond the sporting achievements. They have permanently transformed the French urban and sporting landscape. In Seine-Saint-Denis, 4,000 housing units, including 40% social housing, were developed from the Athletes’ Village, designed to be energy-efficient and built with residents in mind. On the infrastructure side, several iconic sites such as the Arena Porte de la Chapelle, the Olympic Aquatic Center in Saint-Denis or the Prisme in Bobigny are now open to all: everyday athletes, clubs, associations, and schools.

The legacy also extends to new uses: permanent cycling paths, natural spaces reopened for swimming, and the rollout of the “5,000 pitches” plan, encouraging sports practice throughout France. These initiatives carry forward the spirit of the Games: making sports accessible to everyone, promoting sustainable mobility, and strengthening the connection between sport, cities, and society.

Sport is no longer just about competition. Today, it’s a major economic and media driver, accounting for nearly 2% of France’s GDP and bringing together thousands of jobs in communication, marketing, and event management. The year 2024 marked a turning point: France demonstrated its ability to host the world’s biggest events—such as the Rugby World Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the Tour de France—while promoting a responsible and innovative vision of sport.

This momentum benefits the entire ecosystem: local authorities, brands, startups, agencies, and content creators all find opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and positive impact within this new environment. The legacy of Paris 2024 is, above all, that of sport serving communities and citizens, rooted in the long term.

Sport: a new arena of international influence?

Beyond borders, sport has become a powerful soft power tool. Nations and major corporations see it as a way to project their strength, culture, and values. From Qatar to Saudi Arabia, from the United States to China, massive investments in clubs, leagues, and international events reflect this race for visibility. Communication plays a key role here: creating emotion, telling stories, and engaging fans around the world.

Sports communicators must now think globally, anticipate digital trends, and understand the expectations of an international audience. A unique opportunity for young talents trained at the crossroads of marketing, media, and sport.

New careers at the heart of the sport business

The transformation of the sport business sector has accelerated in the wake of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This event not only shone a spotlight on France but also served as a catalyst for the entire sports business ecosystem: new fan expectations, the rise of digitalization, sustainability challenges, and the growing importance of brand storytelling—all trends fostering the emergence of hybrid and highly skilled profiles.

Head of Sponsorship and Partnerships

A true architect of brand visibility, they design innovative and authentic activations that extend the Olympic magic. Their role goes far beyond placing a logo—they create immersive and emotional experiences that build lasting connections between brands and fans.

Sports Event Project Manager

Building on the momentum of Paris 2024, they now have to create sustainable, inclusive, and memorable events, both on-site and online. Their mission: to turn each competition into a meaningful brand experience.

Sports Community Manager / Social Media Strategist

With the explosion of content around athletes and major competitions, this role has become that of a conductor of sports storytelling. They bring together engaged communities and keep the passion alive long after the Games have ended.

Data and Fan Engagement Expert

At the heart of tomorrow’s sports industry, they analyze fan behavior to personalize experiences, optimize marketing performance, and strengthen loyalty. The Games showed how data can transform the relationship between a fan and their sport.

🎯 EFAP Focus: our students at the heart of the action

At EFAP, immersion in the world of Sport Business is not just theory—it’s real-world experience.

Students enrolled in the Specialized MBA in Sport Business & Communication regularly take part in major events, working directly with professionals from the industry.

This year, they had the opportunity to attend the launch conference of the Tour de France—a key event for sports, media, and sponsorship professionals.

A unique experience that allows them to observe first-hand the communication and strategic challenges behind a global event. These immersions complement an education focused on strategy, creativity, and innovation, led by professionals from the world of sports, marketing, and major brands.

A decade of opportunities ahead

The Paris 2024 Games do not mark an end but the beginning of a new golden age for the sports industry. France has established itself as a major player in hosting global sporting events, and this dynamic is set to continue throughout the coming decade.

A rich and promising international calendar

There will be no shortage of major sporting events:

The Tour de France, an annual showcase of French sport and a true laboratory for innovation in communication and sponsorship.
The 2027 Women’s Football World Cup, for which France is a candidate—a symbol of a more inclusive and media-driven sport.
The 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, and possibly the 2030 Winter Olympic Games, with a potential French bid.
And let’s not forget the increasingly media-driven international competitions: the Champions League, NBA Global Games, eSports World Cup, and X Games, blurring the lines between sport, entertainment, and digital culture.

Each of these events represents a career and innovation opportunity for communicators, marketers, and creatives able to grasp their key challenges: storytelling, community engagement, digital strategy, and sustainability.

Beyond the events themselves, the entire sports ecosystem is entering a new era. Brands, federations, and media are rethinking their models to meet the expectations of audiences who are more connected, more demanding, and more engaged.
The growth of women’s sport, the rise of sports entertainment, the digitalization of fan experiences, and the pursuit of positive environmental impact are reshaping the industry’s codes. For professionals in sports communication and marketing, this decade is shaping up to be an unprecedented field of experimentation. New storytelling formats, technological immersion (AR, VR, AI), responsible partnerships, and enhanced live experiences—all open endless possibilities for those who can capture the emotion of sport and turn it into lasting value.

The legacy of Paris 2024 goes far beyond infrastructure—it lies in a generation of professionals ready to reinvent the way sport is told and experienced. Communication, innovation, sustainability, inclusion: these are the values redefining a sector now at the heart of economic and social challenges.

For future communicators, it’s a unique opportunity to turn their passion into a profession and to take part, in their own way, in the great adventure of global sport.

Discover EFAP’s Specialized MBA in Sport Business & Communication

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