Publications

September 2012
Case

Sir Alex Ferguson: Managing Manchester United

By: Anita Elberse and Thomas Dye

Sir Alex Ferguson, the most successful manager in British football history, is preparing for the 2012–2013 season—his record-setting 26th as manager of one of the world's most decorated professional football clubs and one of sport's biggest franchises. Over the years... View Details

Keywords: Managing Teams; Leading Teams; European Football; Sports; Leadership; Sports Industry; England; United Kingdom; Europe

January 2025
Case

Real Madrid Club de Fútbol

By: Anita Elberse, Juan Pasquín and Íñigo Pasquín

On June 1, 2024, Spanish soccer club Real Madrid captures its fifteenth Champions League title—more than double the tally of the nearest competitor. Under Florentino Pérez’s leadership, the club has now won six of the last eleven UEFA Champions League titles, and has... View Details

Keywords: Soccer; Football; Entertainment; Media; Talent Management; Superstars; General Management; Sports; Marketing; Recruitment; Competitive Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Sports Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry

December 2024
Case

AC Milan

By: Anita Elberse

In April 2024, Giorgio Furlani is nearing the end of his first full season as chief executive officer of Italian soccer club AC Milan. A Harvard Business School Class of 2007 graduate with a finance background, Furlani was appointed by RedBird Capital Partners’ founder... View Details

Keywords: Sports; Soccer; Football; Entertainment; Media; Talent Management; Superstars; Marketing; Strategy; General Management; Mergers and Acquisitions; Leadership; Business Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Business or Company Management; Sports Industry; Milan

25 Oct 2022
Research & Ideas

Is Baseball Ready to Compete for the Next Generation of Fans?

While football and basketball are now the most popular and financially successful of the four major professional sports leagues, Major League Baseball appears to be rallying. Last week, MLB said revenue for the 2022 regular season, which... View Details

Keywords: by Christina Pazzanese, Harvard Gazette; Media & Broadcasting; Sports

17 Jul 2016
Working Paper Summaries

More Effective Sports Sponsorship—Combining and Integrating Key Resources and Capabilities of International Sports Events and Their Major Sponsors

Keywords: by Ragnar Lund and Stephen A. Greyser; Sports

2016
Working Paper

More Effective Sports Sponsorship—Combining and Integrating Key Resources and Capabilities of International Sports Events and Their Major Sponsors

By: Ragnar Lund and Stephen A. Greyser

Organizations in the field of sports are becoming increasingly dependent on sponsors for their value creation and growth. Studies suggest that sports organizations (rights-holders) often fail to exploit the full potential of such sponsorship partnerships. The aim of... View Details

Keywords: Sponsorship; ＂Sports Organizations,; Case Study; Europe; Business Relationships; Collaborative Marketing; Value Co-creation; Relationship Portfolio Management; Value Creation; Cases; Marketing; Sports; Sports Industry; Europe