Sport Management

Sport management applies business thinking to the specific contexts of sport, which presents management challenges and opportunities that are genuinely distinctive. Sports organisations must balance commercial imperatives with values of participation, community, and fair play. They must manage relationships with fans, sponsors, broadcasters, governing bodies, and athletes simultaneously.

They must navigate the regulatory frameworks of national and international sport while also operating in highly competitive commercial markets. Understanding this environment requires both solid management foundations and specialist knowledge of how sport works.

At the University of Portsmouth, this three-year full-time programme develops both. You will study the core disciplines of management, including marketing, finance, strategy, and human resources, alongside specialist modules addressing sports marketing, event management, sport sponsorship, governance, and the commercial dimensions of professional and recreational sport. The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement, meaning that you spend significant time in professional sports organisations before you graduate, developing practical experience and industry contacts that are genuinely valuable in a competitive sector.

Graduates from sport management programmes go on to work in professional sports clubs, national governing bodies, event management companies, sports marketing agencies, leisure facility management, community sport development, and international sports organisations. Roles include marketing manager, events coordinator, commercial director, sponsorship executive, and operations manager. Further study at postgraduate level in sport management, event management, or business administration is available for those who wish to develop their expertise or move into senior roles.