Philadelphia, PA- Every couple of years, the world unites to watch a certain sport; in the U.S., it happens yearly when the NFL celebrates its championship game, most known as the Super Bowl. A moment where entertainment meets sport. This year, Bad Bunny performed at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California; this spectacle gathered 125.6 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, NBC Sports Digital, and NFL+. The 2026 FIFA World Cup recorded 66.4 million viewers in the U.S. alone. 6.25 million spectators attended matches by the 16th best.
Over the past years, Sports have become the epicenter of entertainment and international affairs, attracting millions of people to watch the events, not only the big ones such as the Olympic Games or the World Cup; other sports such as Formula One also gather their own fan base every so often when they meet up in different cities around the world.
The participation of people from all over the world in viewership and attendance creates a phenomenon known as sports diplomacy, where countries become the epicenter of diplomacy, mixed with the presence of celebrities and important figures. Sport becomes a powerful tool for the countries that host them.
Love Morales is an aspiring professional in sports management and business, with a degree in business management, a certificate in Global Sports, and volunteer experience working alongside FIFA and Formula One. She also participated in the WWDSummit, as shown in the following picture.
She explains that the effect of influencers’ presence in sports depends on which sport is being watched. “You have great examples of influencers who are knowledgeable on the sports they’re talking about, and it creates a better, a more transparent […] authentic experience with their viewer”.
Regarding how much power sports holds for the community, in viewership, sports such as the Formula One bring economic power to the places they attend, as it’s common knowledge that F1 is one of the most expensive in history, with tickets ranging from $150 to $800+ in General Admission and skyrocketing for VIP seating and three-day admission.
“Currently, a lot of the races are becoming more common in the Middle East region, and it’s because of the affordability […] To be able to host a Formula One race in your country, for licensing. Usually, they have a hosting fee ranging from 20 million to over 60 million,” Morales adds. She also mentions, “There’s also a big intake of tourists because of all these events”.
Sports have become more than just entertainment; they are now a global platform where diplomacy, culture and economics intersect. Major events bring millions of people together while giving host countries opportunities to strengthen their international presence. The involvement of celebrities and global audiences further broadens the reach of these events beyond the field.
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