Sport
The sports sector remains resilient amid global economic challenges. Investors continue to view sports as a stable asset class, with over 300 stadiums worldwide undergoing renovations or new constructions in 2025. Nearly half of these projects are in Europe, focusing on enhancing fan experiences and diversifying revenue streams. Despite potential indirect effects from global trade tensions, industry leaders believe the sports sector can withstand economic pressures due to long-term contracts, loyal fan bases, and domestic supply chains.
Sport has a significant and growing impact on Europe’s economy and society. Recent figures show that the contribution of sport to EU GDP is significant – over two percent of EU total employment.
Women’s sports are witnessing unprecedented growth across Europe. For instance, UEFA has pledged €1 billion over six years to develop women’s football, aiming to establish six professional leagues and support 5,000 professional players by 2030. This commitment follows record-breaking viewership and revenue in recent tournaments. In July 2025, Switzerland will host the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, featuring 16 teams competing across eight cities. The tournament is expected to further elevate the profile of women’s football in Europe.
Sport is a field in which the EU’s responsibilities are relatively new, and there is now a specific budget line under the Erasmus+ programme to support projects and networks in the area of sport. The EU’s commitment to sports is evident in the increased applications for Erasmus+ Sport actions, which saw a 34% rise in 2025 compared to the previous year. Approximately 335 projects are expected to receive funding totaling €61.6 million.
Glenn Micallef, the European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture, and Sport, has outlined priorities including strengthening the European sports model, promoting inclusivity, combating piracy of sporting events, and enhancing the role of sport in European diplomacy.
The EU works to attain greater fairness and openness in sporting competitions and greater protection of the moral and physical integrity of sportspeople whilst taking account of the specific nature of sport. In particular, the EU is concerned with three aspects: (1) the societal role of sport; (2) its economic dimension; and (3) the political and legal framework of the sports sector.
The way sport it is represented, particularly via media outlets, is of great social and economic significance. In social terms, sport can impact a range of issues: from attitudes toward sports fans and professionals to complex phenomena such as nationalism, gender equality, doping, match-fixing, racism and violence.
As attending or watching sporting events generates considerable income for Member States, the relationship between sport and the media is also of great economic significance. The selling of media rights and merchandising are the main sources of revenue for professional sport in Europe.