640. Why Governments Are Betting Big on Sports

The Gulf States and China are spending billions to build stadiums and buy up teams — but what are they really buying? And can an entrepreneur from Cincinnati make his own billions by bringing baseball to Dubai? SOURCES: Simon Chadwick, professor of afroeurasian sport at Emlyon Business School. Derek Fisher, high school basketball coach, former N.B.A. coach and player. Kash Shaikh, chairman, C.E.O., and co-founder of Baseball United. Rory Smith, football correspondent at The Observer. RESOURCES: "China Keeps Building Stadiums in Africa. But at What Cost?" by Elian Peltier (New York Times, 2024). "Manchester Off-Shored: A Public Interest Report on the Manchester Life Partnership Between Manchester City Council + The Abu Dhabi United Group," by Richard Goulding, Adam Leaver, and Jonathan Silver (Centripetal Cities, 2022).