Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in the SIGA (Sports Integrity Global Alliance) conference at the Nova School of Business and Economics in Lisbon, Portugal. In preparation for speaking, I researched the business of sports and the critical role of integrity in it.
Sports are games. People participate in and watch games to experience competitors struggling within a set of rules to overcome and succeed. At its bare essentials, sports involves a relatable struggle. A young man or women overcoming a traumatic childhood, poverty, violence, broken relationships, injuries, etc., to become a winner. This can be highly entertaining, and audiences are willing to spend billions of dollars for the opportunity to watch this struggle unfold.