Select nations and time frames, % 3.9%Australia Canada China Germany India Japan Morocco Saudi Arabia United Kingdom 0.8% 0.3% 1.2% 0.9% 2.0% 2.5% 1.0% 2.6% (2016/2017) (2023) (2023) (2012) (2024) (2024) (2023) (2024) (2021)% GDP 1.5% 0.5% 4.6% 1.1% 1.6% 3.9% 5.0%Australia Canada Germany Morocco South Korea United Kingdom United States (2016/2017) (2023) (2012) (2023) (2023) (2021) (2024)% jobs The sports economy is powered by dynamic interactions between the core and connected industries. Growth or innovation in one area often accelerates progress in others. For instance, major sporting events stimulate demand for sports tourism, while grassroots sports and sports tourism drive sales of sporting goods. In turn, the popularity of sporting goods brands fuels sponsorship revenues for elite sport, often surpassing income from ticket sales. Media coverage and digital technologies further amplify these effects by expanding audience reach, enhancing fan engagement and creating new revenue streams. These synergies and interdependencies among actors create a virtuous cycle, amplifying the overall impact and value of the sports economy, not only driving economic development, such as job creation and infrastructure investment, but also providing a platform for broader community and corporate engagement. The broader stakeholder ecosystem benefits from these industries and is also vital to facilitating their growth and development. For example, governments interface with the sports economy through multiple ministries, including those responsible for sport, health, trade, investment and tourism, highlighting sport’s significance and complex, interwoven relationship with national economies and their development priorities. In mature sporting markets such as the US, the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU), sport contributes between 2% and 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) and supports approximately one in every 25 full-time jobs. Major events such as the Boston Marathon drive significant economic benefits, including increased tax revenues and vendor activity, with the 2024 edition generating $500 million for Massachusetts.3 Sport also contributes to more productive workforces, with corporates investing in enhanced employee well-being strategies including physical activity having the potential to generate up to an additional $11 trillion in economic value.4 This strong foundation of the sports economy sets the stage for its rapid evolution. Emerging trends, particularly in sports tourism, are driving new opportunities for growth and reshaping how people engage with sport. Indicative comparison of sport economy’s contribution to GDP and employment FIGURE 8 Note: Figures for GDP and employment are based on reported sport satellite accounts, except USA (Mercer indicative analysis); employment figures are based on headcount, except for AUS (FTE). Source: UK Government, European Commission, Canadian Heritage, Stat Canadian Government, Aspen Institute, Care Ratings, Korean Government, Astro Labs, Dubai Sport Council, Fédération Marocaine des Professionnels du Sport, World Economic Forum analysis In mature sporting markets, sport contributes between 2% and 4% of GDP and supports approximately one in every 25 full-time jobs. Sports for People and Planet 11

Sports for People and Planet 2026