#220 Olympic Power, Politics & the Future of Global Sport - Michael Payne

08 Dec 2025 • 60 min • EN
60 min
00:00
01:00:40
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Welcome to episode 220 of Sports Management Podcast. Today's guest helped build the Olympic business model as we know it. Michael Payne is the former marketing director of the IOC, creator of the TOP sponsorship program, and widely regarded as the architect of modern sports marketing. In this episode, we explore 50 years of global sport power, politics, money, and what the next 50 years could look like. Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 00:34 Why he wrote the book & invented sports marketing 03:16 FIFA had four employees 07:43 Cold War & saving the Olympics 10:17 Bernie Ecclestone vs Samaranch 13:16 Politics weaponizing sport 15:22 Sportswashing debate (China & Saudi) 23:33 Trump, the World Cup & LA28 29:38 His wild predictions for sport 31:46 Avatar stadiums 34:12 Tech vs the soul of sport 38:26 Sustainability & white elephants 48:35 Advice for young professionals 50:18 Business lesson: problems vs solutions 53:54 How great negotiators really work 59:00 Outro   Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media Instagram Twitter LinkedIn YouTube www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

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