95% of Olympics/World Cup hosts lose money; avg ROI -38%
A University of Lausanne study of all Olympics and World Cups from 1964-2018 found 95% of hosts lose money, with an average ROI of -38%.
Snapshot · The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
Prof G Markets: Google’s Quantum Breakthrough & The World Cup Goes to Saudi Arabia
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Dec 16, 2024
Where this was said
Saudi Arabia Wins the 2034 World Cup: Inevitable and Expensive
At 47:24 · chapter starts 41:45
Saudi Arabia's World Cup win was, by every account, a foregone conclusion — no other nation even bothered to bid. Scott connects the dots between FIFA's $100M Saudi Aramco sponsorship deal and the inevitable hosting outcome, calling it a 'down payment.' But the more interesting conversation is why this matters to the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia has a finite window — roughly 30-40 years of oil wealth — to transition to a knowledge and tourism-based economy. The World Cup is a blank-check branding exercise, and Scott makes the case viscerally through his memory of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics opening ceremony: a flaming arrow, a ripped torso, a stunning stadium, and an entire country suddenly on the global tourist wishlist. The Paris Olympics recently did the same. Scott predicts MBS looks at Dubai's rise as a global business hub and is determined to one-up it, with a nearly unlimited budget. Qatar reportedly spent $220-250 billion; Scott wouldn't be surprised if Saudi Arabia spends half a trillion. The key economic bet: after the World Cup, the question 'Honey, would you be willing to move to Riyadh?' gets a different answer from tens of thousands of entrepreneurs and executives worldwide. [1] — Scott Galloway "Saudi Arabia is transitioning from a fossil fuel economy to a services and tourism economy, and it has a blank check to do it. The 2034 Wor…" 42:18
Saudi Arabia's World Cup: The Biggest Ad in History?
Saudi Arabia is transitioning from a fossil fuel economy to a services and tourism economy, and it has a blank check to do it. The 2034 World Cup isn't a sports tournament — it's a $250+ billion advertisement to attract human capital, foreign businesses, and global attention.
Qatar spent $220-250 billion on 2022 World Cup
Qatar spent approximately $220-250 billion hosting the 2022 World Cup; Scott Galloway predicts Saudi Arabia may spend half a trillion dollars on 2034.
95% of World Cup and Olympics Hosts Lose Money
A University of Lausanne study of every Olympics and World Cup from 1964 to 2018 found that 95% of hosts lose money, with an average ROI of -38%. Only three events in history turned a direct profit. But 'soft power' is off the books.
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