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RESEARCH CENTER FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS of NAS of Ukraine (KHARKIV, UKRAINE)

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Liburkina L. M.

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The Global Corporatization of Professional Sports as a Factor in the Transformation of Management and Branding Models
Neukhatska S. O.

Neukhatska, Svitlana O. (2026) “The Global Corporatization of Professional Sports as a Factor in the Transformation of Management and Branding Models.” Business Inform 7:539–550.
https://doi.org/10.32983/2222-4459-2026-7-539-550

Section: Management and Marketing

Article is written in Ukrainian
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UDC 339.9:796:005.21:658.8

Abstract:
This article examines the global corporatization of professional sports as a factor in the transformation of contemporary models of sports management and branding. Modern professional sports are functioning less and less as merely a realm of competition and club loyalty, and are increasingly transforming into an international business ecosystem that combines athletic performance, media rights, commercial partnerships, digital platforms, infrastructure investments, franchise value, and corporate social responsibility. The aim of this article is to identify the relationship between the processes of corporate restructuring in professional sports and changes in the management of sports organizations, revenues, brands, audiences, and social impact. The research methodology is descriptive and analytical in nature and is based on an analysis of secondary data from open international sources. The study employs a structural analysis of revenues, as well as calculations of market shares, growth rates, average annual growth rates, and indicators of brand value concentration. The study found that the corporatization of professional sports manifests itself through revenue diversification, the growing role of commercial assets, media rights, and digital channels, the rising value of sports franchises, the development of the stadium economy, and the shift from club administration to strategic management of sports ecosystems. Particular attention is paid to social branding as a tool for sports corporations to connect with communities, as well as to the development of women’s sports, inclusion, and fan loyalty. The study concludes that the competitiveness of sports organizations depends on their ability to combine business efficiency, sporting authenticity, digital management, infrastructure development, and social responsibility.

Keywords: professional sport; sports industry; corporatization; sports management; branding; sports franchises; media rights; social branding.

Fig.: 1. Tabl.: 5. Formulae: 2. Bibl.: 19.

Neukhatska Svitlana O. – Postgraduate Student, Department of International Management, Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman (54/1 Beresteiskyi Ave., Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine)
Email: [email protected]

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