Sports Management Podcast

Release Date: 12-08-2025 00:30

Welcome to episode 220 of Sports Management Podcast.

Today's guest helped build the Olympic business model as we know it. Michael Payne is the former marketing director of the IOC, creator of the TOP sponsorship program, and widely regarded as the architect of modern sports marketing.

In this episode, we explore 50 years of global sport power, politics, money, and what the next 50 years could look like.

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro
00:34 Why he wrote the book & invented sports marketing
03:16 FIFA had four employees
07:43 Cold War & saving the Olympics
10:17 Bernie Ecclestone vs Samaranch
13:16 Politics weaponizing sport
15:22 Sportswashing debate (China & Saudi)
23:33 Trump, the World Cup & LA28
29:38 His wild predictions for sport
31:46 Avatar stadiums
34:12 Tech vs the soul of sport
38:26 Sustainability & white elephants
48:35 Advice for young professionals
50:18 Business lesson: problems vs solutions
53:54 How great negotiators really work
59:00 Outro

 

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