Sport is a fundamental part of Spain’s national identity and global brand. From world-class athletes such as Rafael Nadal and Pau Gasol, to legendary football clubs like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, from iconic international events such as the Barcelona 1992 Olympics or the upcoming 2030 FIFA World Cup, Spain stands as a global sports powerhouse.
This course introduces you to the Spanish sports ecosystem through case studies, expert guest sessions, and experiential visits. It blends theory and practice to explore the institutions, values, and innovations that shape the sports industry in Spain. The class is designed to provide you with both a critical lens and an applied perspective of how sport operates as a cultural force, an economic driver, and a professional field.
In addition, the course positions sport as a social platform with transversal impact across Spanish society. It influences education and civic values, drives political and media narratives, and generates economic development—not only as a standalone industry but also as a catalyst for tourism, urban growth, and technological innovation. Spain’s unique model, rooted in the European federative tradition yet adapted to global markets, will serve as a comparative framework to analyze sport’s role in shaping modern societies.
The class requires dedicated preparation and active participation from you. Course topics are chosen to encourage conversation and debate as you develop management skills and learn more about the sports industry.
We’ll take a multidisciplinary approach with this course, combining management, public policy, tourism, communication, and sociology to help you understand sport as a strategic sector. Using Spain as a living case study of the European model, you’ll explore how sport is governed, how it creates social value, how it contributes to economic development, and how it communicates its broader impact.
Department: Sport Management
Location: Madrid
Semesters: Fall, Spring
Credits: 3