“Madrid is the world home of sports today”. Madrid Community President Isabel Díaz Ayuso announced with this sentence: Laureaus World Sports Awards 2024 celebration In the capital of Spain, which also wants to be the epicenter of the sports industry. If the Spanish F1 GP presented a few weeks ago was a coup that robbed Barcelona of its name for a decade, the awarding of an NFL football match starting in 2025 strengthens the argument that the race’s ultimate goal is the Olympic Games. .
“We are on this”That’s what the president said when asked about a future Olympian at the commemoration ceremony for Carlos Sainz’s Dakar. After events in Paris, Los Angeles and Brisbane, the target is 2036. Madrid improves on three failed attempts in the last 15 years With the power that two kinds of events will give youAs Carlos Canto, CEO of SPSG Consulting, explained to this newspaper. On the one hand, ‘one-off’ events, i.e. events held once, e.g. 2030 football world cup will be its headquarters. Or the fight between them at the Bernabéu Ilia Topuria And Connor McGregorAccording to the Spanish UFC fighter.
On the other hand, such as ‘tour’ events held every year Formula 1HE Mutua Madrid Open or Acciona Open Spain Golf, “Making a more consistent and recurring impact on the community than other more specific ones.” Or formulas such as the NFL games coming to Madrid in 2025 will “reinforce its image as a dynamic and open capital city focused on progress around the world.”
Libertadores, the starting point of the revolution
The growth of sports as an industry is evidenced by data such as: Its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product in Spain is 3.3%, and on a global scale it is between 1.4% and 2%.. Therefore, the regional government admits that it is not a coincidence that sports events are concentrated in the region, and that there is a whole “strategy” behind it. “Because of its economic impact, brand image and the tourism it attracts,” they admit.
On page 35 of the election program of the Madrid PP they already talked about their intention to use sports as a means of income. In that document, it was said that over the years – in almost all parties – there was a move towards listing the wishes that would come from a document that was a suggestion. Turn Madrid into a “cultural power”. And in particular, there was mention of PP president Isabel Díaz Ayuso’s intention “to propose that the Formula 1 Grand Prix be held in Madrid”.
However, the second one belongs to the election program in May 2023; By then Madrid had already been working towards achieving this goal for some time. Since Madrid hosted the Copa Libertadores final between River and Boca in December 2018 After the first round of controversy at El Monumental in Buenos Aires, the ‘bug’ of major sporting events began to bite the Community offices.
In previous years Everything was tried to attract it to the Olympic Games, but no success was achieved.. However, momentum was regained when the results of the Libertadores final were seen “in terms of the organizational capacity demonstrated by Madrid”. The economic return of the event to the city, They explain from their Puerta del Sol facility.
Madrid is founded in a multipolar sports industry
The capital is located on an evolving multipolar map. As Carlos Canto, CEO of SPSG Consulting, said, years ago everything happened in Europe and North America, but with the emergence of Asia, the map began to crack. Both in the Far East and with countries such as China, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia; As in Persian Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar or the United Arab Emirates.
There are also different beans in Spain. Barcelona changed history in 1992 and are now looking to regain their strength. We fight to keep the Formula 1 Grand Prix on the calendar, while waiting for the new FC Barcelona stadium. Supported by the investments of the Andalusian Junta, Malaga and Seville increased their attractiveness. The same thing happened with the editions of the magazine in Valencia. America’s CupHE MotoGP Grand Prix in Cheste and even through the ill-fated F1 European GP. It will host the Basketball Pre-Olympic this summer.
In 2023, in addition to the events mentioned above, capital, Madrid MarathonHE International Athletics MeetingWorld Beach Volleyball Circuit, Equestrian Jumping Championships, European Walking Championships, World Motocross Championship tests, U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup or the Greater Madrid Triathlon Society, among others. Regional manager during the 2022/2023 season, 7.3 million euro aid To federations, associations and clubs. Additionally, more than 1.3 million dollars were invested in scholarships to be given to athletes based on their performance.
“We need to take into account not only major professional events but also amateur or grassroots sporting events. For example, Madrid has hosted the MAD Cup for three yearsA football training competition in June last year that brought together 779 teams and 14,000 participants and generated an economic impact of €29.3 million in just six days” exemplifies the 360° strategy that Canto has undertaken for Madrid.
Madrid 2036 Olympics? What has been done and what needs to be done
Ayuso landed at the regional government headquarters in 2019 and Formula 1 idea started to take off Because “this is the event with the biggest global impact on sport and technology,” their team explains. In fact, the data they repeat is that Madrid will attract an average of 400,000 spectators per day who will watch races around the world. And this should be used for other purposes, for example 2036 Olympic Games.
Sources from the regional government say “we must capitalize on the momentum and potential that Madrid currently has as a region” because this will “result in economic activity” of the Community. However, they also state that we should try to benefit from infrastructure, sports and other advantages. “They are already built and you don’t need to do much.”. They are also facilities with a transformative character, called “heritage,” as SPSG Consulting CEO Carlos Canto explains.
“The 1992 Barcelona Olympic and Paralympic Games Stop living with your back to the sea. This event, led by Juan Antonio Samaranch, President of the International Olympic Committee at the time, resulted in the equipping of the city with highways and road infrastructure,” creating an event of this magnitude.
According to Canto, analysis of what the Olympics entail cannot remain within the operational balance of the event.. We must understand what happened before, during and after the Olympic period. Once again, the closest and clearest transformative example is Barcelona 1992. For this to happen, Canto sees cooperation between different institutions and, of course, coordinated work with private initiative as essential.
Therefore, the sports industry expert assures: “The biggest challenge is to plan the legacy well. There are many solutions to continue the championships. But everything depends on two keys: social, environmental and economic sustainability; and professionalism“In this way, negative impacts, such as inadequate use of facilities or the integration of citizens within the 18 days that the Olympics last, will be reduced to a maximum level.
Madrid’s goal: to be among the ‘top 5’ in the sports industry
“It became clear that organizing sporting events not only creates an economic impact, but also affects tourism from a leisure and business perspective (e.g. conferences). “Barcelona 1992 put an end to seasonality,” explains Canto, who thinks the Olympics convey a positive image of dynamism and desire for progress. “And it even has effects among young people. by reinforcing healthy lifestyle habits”adds the CEO of SPSG Consulting.
Madrid needs to work on all these situations to become the World Sports Capital; this is an assessment it adopted in 2022, after it was approved by ACES Europe and approved by the European Commission. This recognition had little media significance. Beyond formalism, what will truly transform Madrid into the center of the sports industry is organization of high-level events of interest.
“Madrid wants to be among the ‘top 5’ in the world. However, it will only achieve this with a long-term strategy and the joint determination of public and private institutions. If you think in the short term, this will not be possible.” In addition, it needs City-based support organizations such as Real Madrid, Atlético, LaLiga or ACB“says Canto, assuring Madrid’s next big stop will be hosting a World Cup – or similar event – as a single venue. Another part of a castle crowned with the Olympic Games, but with events large and small on each floor . , important. .