21 Jul THE FOOTBALL INDUSTRY: BUSINESS MODEL, EVOLUTION AND FUTURE
Football has become one of the world’s most influential sports and entertainment industries, shaped by the evolution of its business model, the growth of media and platforms, international expansion, and increasing scrutiny around governance, integrity, and reputation. This seminar offers a practical, non-technical overview of how the industry works, how value is created and distributed, and what trends and risks will define its future.
Throughout the course, students will examine how football organizations operate as businesses and how the industry has transformed over the last decade. They will also gain a clear view of the main professional opportunities within the football industry and the different career paths available across key areas such as finance, legal and regulatory affairs, sponsorship and commercial partnerships, sports projects and competition operations, media and communications, content and digital, and international relations. The final session is devoted to group presentations in which students propose an improvement initiative for an aspect of the football industry, previously approved by the professor.
CARLOS RUIZ-OCAÑA
Carlos Ruiz-Ocaña is an international Sports & Entertainment executive with extensive experience across PR & Communications, international relations, and business development. He currently serves as Head of International Special Projects at LALIGA, leading initiatives involving high-level cross-border sports and institutional agreements. Previously, he headed Corporate Communications at LALIGA, driving media strategy, crisis communications, and brand storytelling. He began his career as a journalist in Brussels and in Spain, and later moved into PR and communications agencies in different countries, most notably as ATREVIA Country Manager in Mexico. He is a lecturer at LALIGA Business School, IE Business School and ISDE, and has completed postgraduate programs at IE Business School and Harvard Business School, among others.
Skills
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Understand how the football industry works, the main professional opportunities it offers, and the role of key areas such as finance, legal, sponsorship, media/communications, sports operations, content/digital, and international relations.
2. Explain how football has evolved as a business over the last 10–15 years and what has driven those changes.
3. Identify the main ways football organizations generate income and the main costs they face, and recognize the key challenges and trade-offs they manage.
4. Describe what international growth means in football and the basic elements of expanding into new markets through partnerships and local strategies.
5. Recognize the main risks and threats that could shape the future of football and suggest realistic ideas to respond to them at a high level.
Schedule
Which dates?
03-mar
10-mar
17-mar
07-apr
14-apr
21-apr
What day?
WEDNESDAY
What time?
12.30-14.00
