Sport is more than entertainment: it unites people across borders through shared emotion, identity, and cultural belonging. Moderated by Nils Giese, CEO of Edelman in Germany, this DLD Sports session brings together Eike Bürgel, who leads Global Olympic and Paralympic Program Management at Allianz; Florian Kurz, Vice Chairman of the Board at ESB Marketing Netzwerk; and Anahita Thoms, Partner at Baker McKenzie in Germany.
“If you put a ball on a lawn, no matter if it’s in the U.S., in Africa or in Europe, kids start playing with it”, Eike Bürgel notes when asked about the magic of sports. Florian Kurz describes it as “the only universal language”, along with music. It’s also a “very attractive marketplace”, he adds, because sport competitions strongly connect with audiences.
Another advantage: In the digital world, experiences and live events are becoming a premium product, Kurz says. “And so you cannot reduce sports by AI.” This indicates that that sports will have a bright future, he believes.
Anahita Thoms praises sports as “one of the strongest tools to build bridges among cultures and countries.” Also, if done well, “it’s definitely helpful in terms of social inclusion.” In that spirit, major international sports events can bring major benefits to cities hosting them, the panel agrees.
Watch the video for further insights and to explore this session in detail.
