Growing Divide

By the end of the next decade, sports begins to reach its full potential in the global market, and the top franchises in soccer, basketball, and baseball reach valuations over $10 billion. The differential between franchises that cash in and those that get left out will become more extreme. Soccer, which is the dominant global sport, thrives despite this disparity between the winners and losers: the top five Premier League teams are approaching household-name status in the United States. Few Americans have heard of the bottom 15. The exposure of widespread corruption in the operations of FIFA will result in far-reaching reforms that, once complete, will accelerate the sport’s growth. But while those reforms are being made, other sports looking to expand their global footprint have an opportunity to appeal to disenchanted fans around the world.