Sports, Entertainment, Lifestyle: understanding the market dynamics
The sports industry has undergone a fundamental transformation. What was once a straightforward model of teams, matches, and television broadcasts has evolved into a complex ecosystem where sports, entertainment, and lifestyle have become inseparable.
A market in transformation
The blurring of boundaries
The contemporary sports market no longer fits into neat categories. Sports organizations now operate like entertainment companies, athletes function as media brands, and sportswear has become everyday fashion. Brands like Adidas, Nike, and Salomon have transformed from equipment manufacturers into lifestyle companies their products are worn to offices, cafes, and social events, not just gyms and playing fields. A vintage football shirt or running shoes now carry cultural currency beyond their original athletic purpose.
How fans consume sports today
Consumption patterns have shifted dramatically. Fans no longer simply watch live matches on television; they engage through short-form content on TikTok and Instagram, participate in fantasy leagues and gaming communities or binge narrative-driven sports documentaries like Netflix's Formula 1, Drive to Survive (which follows F1 teams behind the scenes) or The Last Dance (chronicling Michael Jordan's final season with the Chicago Bulls). The experience has become participatory, with audiences demanding behind-the-scenes access, athlete storytelling, and interactive formats that traditional broadcasting never provided.
New players and growing complexity
This transformation has attracted powerful new actors. Tech giants like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV+ now compete with traditional broadcasters for rights and attention. Sovereign wealth funds view sports franchises as strategic assets for global influence. The result is an industry influenced by digital innovation, sustainability pressures, and geopolitical dynamics, requiring professionals who understand cross-sector strategy and cultural trends.
A program designed to approach these new market dynamics
An ecosystem-based approach
The MSc in Sports, Entertainment & Lifestyle is explicitly designed to reflect current market realities. Rather than teaching the business of sports, the program focuses on the interconnections of sports, entertainment, and lifestyle examining how governing bodies, clubs, tech platforms, fashion brands, and financial actors coexist within the same ecosystem. The program examines sociocultural shifts: why sneaker culture commands billions, how documentaries transform casual viewers into devoted fans, and how Gen Z engages differently with sports.
Strategic skills and global exposure
Students develop critical expertise through modules in data science, AI-driven marketing, and digital platform management. The program offers international immersion through seminars in London focused on commercial models and a Canadian term, at HEC Montréal and Université Laval, exploring fan engagement and franchise systems. Real-world learning comes through hands-on projects with organizations like the FIA and Canal+. Students also develop leadership capabilities for managing crisis, negotiation, and balancing commercial objectives with sustainability.
Watch the replay of the webinar presenting the program and the market trends:
Graduates are prepared for careers in diverse roles: brand managers, digital strategists, commercial directors, or business developers in e-sports and lifestyle collaborations equipped with the cross-sector fluency this evolving industry demands.