The world of sports is now more global than at any point in history and as a result it is inextricably linked to the world of geopolitics.
Formula One’s racing series sees it competing on every continent except Africa and Antarctica, representing a truly worldwide brand with growing reach and increasing appeal, especially in the United States.
Like Formula One, Premier League football is drawing in new fans and encountering new challenges as Gulf states buy larger stakes in the leading clubs and the clubs themselves seeking to monetize their brands.
Not even the once-staid world of golf is immune from the twists and turns of geopolitics and business with Saudi Arabia backing the LIV Tour to compete with the PGA Tour.
What role does geopolitics play in sports? How do these brands navigate the turbulent waters of strategic competition? What can we learn about the world of geopolitics from the world of sports.
Joining CSPC (virtually) to discuss the intersection of sports and geopolitics are the Wall Street Journal’s Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg, authors of the newly published “The Formula: How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World’s Fastest Growing Sport”.
They will be in conversation with Joshua C. Huminski, Senior Vice President for National Security and Intelligence Programs (who is also an avid Formula One fan).
Joshua Robinson is the European sports correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, and has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post and Sports Illustrated.
Jonathan Clegg is the sports editor for The Wall Street Journal. His work has also appeared in the Daily Telegraph, the Independent (U.K.), and FourFourTwo magazine.
They are the co-authors of The Club: How the English Premier League Became the Richest, Wildest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports and Messi vs. Ronaldo: One Rivalry, Two GOATs, and the Era That Remade the World’s Game.