Free online course: The Global Business of Sports

Starts 5th 2013 (7 weeks long)

This course analyzes the business side of sports and discusses the intricacies of global sports leagues as well as various countries' sports strategies. You will be equipped with a framework and tools to understand and evaluate the business side of competitive sports around the world.

About the Course

The wide range of global sports businesses constitutes a multi-billion dollar industry. This course will examine and explain the business of sports by analyzing the economic, legal, governance and success models in various sports industries. The primary focus will be on American team sports but comparative global models will be contemplated as well. We will seek to find the answers to questions such as: what lessons can global sports entities learn from each other? What business strategies are used to retain the profitability of world leagues, sports teams and franchises? What lessons can be drawn from the United States based sports models? What revised models should new entrepreneurial leagues apply in order to achieve success? Substantive instruction will be drawn from the likes of the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, MLB, NFL, Premier League, various player unions, China, India, South Africa, Brazil and much more. Ultimately, our goal is to equip the student with a framework and tools with which to understand and evaluate the business side of a wide range of competitive sports ventures.

The course is taught by Kenneth L. Shropshire.

Kenneth L. Shropshire is the David W. Hauck Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Faculty Director of its Wharton Sports Business Initiative https://whartonsportsbiz.org/. He served as Chairman of the School’s Legal Studies and Business Ethics department from 2000-2005. Shropshire joined the Wharton faculty in 1986 and specializes in sports business and law, sports and social impact, and negotiations. He also serves as Special Counsel at the global law firm Duane Morris LLP, https://www.duanemorris.com/ working primarily on sports and entertainment industry related matters. Read full profile.