Nicholas Burton, Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Brock University, and Cheri Bradish, Professor of Sport Business at Ryerson University, had a piece recently published in The Conversation about the need for the Olympic movement to dramatically rethink its current strategy and economic model.

They write:

“At the conclusion of every Olympics, there are reflections on the importance and relevance of the Games. There are always a wide range of opinions, from those who praise the movement as a global humanitarian platform to others who criticize the Games due to sustainability, environmental and human rights concerns.

 International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach called the Tokyo Games the “most challenging Olympic journey” during his speech at the closing ceremonies. The Games were postponed a year, held during a pandemic emergency that barred fans from the stands and had reluctant support from the host country. And there are other challenges ahead for the Olympic movement. 

 Given all of the problems facing the Olympic movement, what is the relevance of the modern Olympic Games from a consumer, marketing, media and economic perspective?”

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