What is the future of major sporting events in the UK?


Millions of people across the country regularly engage with live sport, whether by attending events in person or consuming live broadcasts, with the UK buying more tickets to sporting events relative to population size than any other country. As such, these events form a fundamental part of our shared culture.
However, ensuring the future of such large-scale events within the UK has seen many sports organisations and those within the wider sporting industry taking great strides to respond to changing expectations, broaden the appeal of major events, and branch out into new and exciting areas.
Levelling the playing field
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Hide AdThe sports industry has an amazing ability to promote wellbeing, establish positive role models and positively impact fans, but linked to this is also a responsibility to respond to societal changes, particularly in regard to diversity, inclusion and representation. It is important that young people are able to recognise themselves in the teams and athletes that represent them, ensuring that sports organisations continue to resonate with stakeholders, while also being better placed to attract the very best talent, regardless of background.
As an example, female representation both on and off the pitch has been marked by several significant obstacles. One report from Women on Board UK found that women accounted for just 26% of board positions across UK sports organisations, while in 2023, just 8% of UK sports media coverage was focused on women’s sports, despite women accounting for 35% of all sports participation. Disabled athletes face similar hurdles, particularly in respect to accessible infrastructure and facilities.
Of particular note is the sport programme for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2026 which will fully integrate five para disciplines alongside their able-bodied versions. UK Sport and other key event funders are also championing the diversity of our sporting community and last weekend, we witnessed a Women’s Rugby League International enjoying the same billing as their male counterparts.
Those that don’t see this growth and increased equality are missing both a commercial opportunity as well as one to show that they care about the trajectory of all stakeholders.
Promoting collaboration
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Hide AdMajor sporting events are not only a key economic driver, but also bring much more besides immediate financial benefits. They have the power to drive UK-wide growth, reinvigorate communities, bring new job opportunities all while positively impacting the cultural legacy of the UK.
On both the national and international level, sport and sporting events has the ability to function as a unifier between people, even those from very different backgrounds and with diverse experiences.
However, successfully delivering large-scale sporting events relies on a huge number of organisations - from sporting bodies to event managers and the media – to come together and leverage knowledge, experience and expertise. In doing, we have and continue to see an increased focus on collaboration.
Following Labour’s pledge that it will work to reset the UK’s relationship with the EU post-Brexit, international collaboration within the sporting industry and events industry at large has taken on even greater importance, with talk of Visa schemes to allow more seamless travel and event tax credit schemes to attract and support such events.
Broadening appeal
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Hide AdWhile the UK undoubtedly has an illustrious history of traditional sporting events, we are also seeing industry leaders branch out into more innovative event propositions in a bid to reach and engage a much larger cross-section of sports fans through a programme of live sports to appeal to more people than ever before.
We saw this trend most notably in this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, with the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Qualifier Series for urban sports, composed of BMX freestyle, breaking, skateboarding and sport climbing. Similarly, fully integrated para multi-sports such as those pioneered in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester are becoming far more commonplace.
The UK is also leading the charge in new markets, such as eSports, where it has already become a hub for these events through organisations such as the UK eSports Association and Red Bull Gaming Sphere in London, tapping into the large population of gamers throughout the UK.
This sector alone boasts huge potential as a rapidly expanding area, with expected growth of 33.1% between 2024 and 2029. We now need the new government and it’s appointed partners to drive forward the UK with the benefit of the funding confirmed for the next four year cycle towards LA28, which would support a wide range of sports that appeal across all of society.
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Hide AdThese events drive wellbeing and often improve mental health by creating a feel good factor both regionally and nationally. Should we miss this opportunity, there are many other nations standing by to try and beat the British team on future Olympic and Paralympic medal tables. When new sports grow, we need to be at the forefront of that explosion in order to show that we are a forward thinking nation and one that can be trusted to deliver.
Final thoughts
Ultimately, the future is bright for the sporting industry in the UK, with organisations embracing challenges and finding new, innovative ways to continue to appeal to fans, positively impacting communities and delivering some of the most ambitious events that the country has ever seen.
By Simon Hainsworth, Managing Director of Corporate & Sporting Events Management ( CSE)