Understanding how sports, entertainment and lifestyle are converging
emlyon business school and Global Sports Jobs brought together a panel of industry experts for a webinar exploring the future of careers in sports media and entertainment. The conversation revealed an industry in the midst of significant change, and a new set of expectations for the professionals looking to build careers within it. Here are the key takeaways.
The race for fans, screens and revenue
The sports industry is undergoing a profound transformation, the sports industry as it was does not exist anymore. It is converging with entertainment, media, technology, and lifestyle, changing not only how fans engage, but how careers are built.
As Antoine Haincourt, Program Director of the MSc in Sports, Entertainment & Lifestyle puts it: "Sport might be the reason fans come in, but entertainment is often what keeps them engaged."
Streaming platforms, subscription models, and content strategies have replaced the old model of purely live-event delivery for sports games. Organizations now compete for global audiences across multiple touchpoints, and what was once a clearly defined sector has become a complex, interconnected economy.
A global business, not just a game
This shift has real implications for professionals. Sport no longer exists in isolation: it sits within broader media and commercial strategies, shaped by culture, politics, and economics. Established markets still carry weight, but emerging regions and new commercial forces are increasingly driving the future direction of sport. As panelist Stuart Wareman, Global SVP Experiences, Events & Sponsorship for Accor, observed: "You're no longer just working in sport, you're operating in a global business influenced by culture, politics and economics."
Navigating different markets, audiences and behaviors has become just as important as commercial know-how, bringing focus on understanding the importance of cultural awareness.
"Sport isn't experienced the same way everywhere — understanding that is key to working in a global industry."
Antoine Haincourt, Program Director of the MSc in Sports, Entertainment & Lifestyle
A changing talent profile
To meet these demands, organizations are increasingly hiring outside traditional sports pathways, drawing talent from technology, media, finance, and consulting. As Shaun Conning, Co-Founder of the Extra Play and Global Sports Jobs, noted: "Some of the most valuable people in the industry haven't come through traditional sports pathways — they bring different ways of thinking."
This signals a broader shift: diverse backgrounds are becoming an advantage, not an obstacle. Stuart Wareman's career is a good example of this. Starting out in consumer PR, he moved into sports event management, then into a WPP-owned media agency, before crossing to the brand side with positions in commercial partnerships. Each transition brought a new lens, across media fragmentation, the rise of social and mobile, and the growing convergence of sport with music, fashion and hospitality. His path wasn't linear, and that turned out to be the point.
Five capabilities now define strong candidates in this new sports economy:
- Commercial awareness: understanding how sport generates revenue, from media rights to fan engagement, is expected at every level.
- Data and storytelling: interpreting data matters but communicating it effectively is what sets candidates apart.
- Curiosity and adaptability: the industry moves fast; those willing to learn and evolve will keep pace.
- Cross-industry experience: entering sport from another field is increasingly common, and often advantageous.
- Global perspective: cultural fluency across markets is now a core professional skill.
The new sports economy offers more opportunity than ever but also more competition both among industry players and among candidates looking to break in. Those who can operate across sport, entertainment, media and technology, with transferable skills and strategic thinking, will be best placed to thrive. The real question is no longer whether the industry is changing; it's whether you're preparing for the industry that was, or the ecosystem that is emerging. This is precisely the challenge that the MSc in Sports, Entertainment & Lifestyle is designed to meet.
This article was originally published on Global Sports Job – view the full article.