Gamechangers and Rainmakers: How Sport Became Big Business

Gamechangers and Rainmakers is the compelling story of how sport became big business, along with 40 pivotal moments that helped create a trillion-dollar global entertainment industry.

The symbiotic relationship between sport, television and the advertising industry has been key to this success – as have the boundless ambitions of influencers such as Bernie Ecclestone, Billie Jean King, Rupert Murdoch and the founders of Adidas and Puma and their 30-year family feud. In the 1980s, sports marketing soared to new heights with the success of the LA Olympics, and the impact of Nike, Apple and Michael Jordan – followed by the disruption caused by the launch of the Premier League, the Champions League, the internet and pay-tv.

In the new millennium, we discover how fans got hooked on videogames and online gambling, while emerging nations wanted to host the top events and investors jockeyed to buy clubs. More recently, the Lionesses kicked open the door for women’s sport and Netflix changed the way we watch TV.

The author reveals how all this happened, and why it led to rogue behaviour by some. He argues this is an industry in need of a serious reset if it wants to keep younger fans engaged.