Digitization and big data analytics have dramatically increased the appeal of the products on sale. This brings with it the desire to be associated with or win, as well as a selfish need to shine and social acceptance.

There is no market if there isn’t a product in demand. Sport is a hot commodity.

Sport has remained popular for decades because of its simplicity. Everyone understands the concept of “you against me” and “them against ours” as well as winners overtaking losers.

Digital production and distribution of sports competitions have now allowed sports businesses to have instant and global access to a large market. The use of big data analytics and digital responsiveness in near-real-time has enabled sports businesses to slice and dice sporting competitions into a multitude of sub-products.

Odds are on

The betting agencies sell odds on parts, such as the score at half-time, the next foul, or who will score the goal.

Criminals can exploit loopholes in the integrity protection system as a result of the increasing monetization of sports.

The scandal in the world of tennis, which was revealed in January last year, shows that bribing an athlete in order to predict one small aspect of a sporting contest is enough to earn millions.

The rich but not famous (yet) are also fueling the gravy train of the sports business. The rich, but not so famous (yet), use high-profile sports to display their economic power. They also bask in their team’s glory and feel a sense of personal accomplishment and social acceptance.

Are they the best reasons to get involved in sports governance?

Can private sports ownership lead to similar exaggerations in Australia?

It is necessary to win at all costs not only on the sports field but also within the sports business corridors in order to gain access to the global benefits of sport.

You can achieve this by using performance-enhancing drugs to deliver superhuman performances or spending excessive amounts of money to buy influence in order to remain in power.

Is the sports business at a crossroads?

Who can you trust?

Who can we trust in sports governance? Who are the sports managers and governors of today? Are they equipped, trained, and capable enough to fight the forces seeking to exploit sport’s exploding profits illegally?

How can we educate, prepare, and train future managers in sports? How can the integrity and spirit of sport be protected?

It is necessary to create a global compact among the major international sports federations about the fundamental business principles that should govern and underpin the sports trade.

Sport Integrity Global Alliance, a coalition of sports governing bodies, governments, international authorities, businesses, academia, and civil society, was announced by the Sport Integrity Global Alliance earlier this month.

The Alliance must agree on how far it can allow the commodification and commercialization of sport to go before its integrity is irreparably damaged.

Educators, researchers, administrators, and politicians must combine their industry knowledge and brainpower. This is a great initiative. However, it leaves one wondering about the implementation and enforcement of key principles signed by more than forty organizations.

What, for instance, will it take to establish such an Alliance?

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How can this be when the sports themselves compete with each other to secure the best TV deal, the host city deal, the biggest sponsorship deal, and a slice of the gambling dollars, not to mention find the best athletic talent available to take their sport the next step?

Sport is real. Whether it’s the people who attend the games or the fans cheering from their homes, everyone needs to know that.

They must be sure that their cheers will contribute to a contest that is real, unpredictable, and limited to the participants. There should always be a chance for the underdog to win.

The superstars of sport can only then be role models to the millions of weekend warriors who compete in local communities all over the world.