#254 The Business of Volleyball: 800 Million Fans and Massive Growth Potential

Welcome to episode 254 of Sports Management Podcast.

Today's guest is Ugo Valensi, CEO of Volleyball World. Ugo has held leadership roles across sports, media, and commercial strategy, including senior positions in tennis, football, and global sports marketing. In this episode, he shares how Volleyball World is transforming one of the world's largest participation sports into a global commercial powerhouse.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• How Volleyball World is commercializing a sport with 800 million fans

• The role of CVC Capital Partners in accelerating growth

• Building athlete brands and fan engagement in volleyball

• Future trends in sports media, OTT platforms, and content consumption

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction to Volleyball World

00:15 What Volleyball World Actually Does

01:24 Commercializing an 800 Million Fan Sport

03:26 Lessons from Tennis & Football

05:05 Athlete Storytelling & Docuseries

06:12 Indoor vs Beach Volleyball

08:09 Reinventing Beach Volleyball

08:23 Road to Los Angeles 2028

09:42 Volleyball's Biggest Growth Markets

11:38 Planning Events Years Ahead

13:05 Vision for the Next Five Years

14:33 The Future of Sports Consumption

16:25 Creating One Global Fan Narrative

17:20 Ugo's Career Journey

24:10 Networking & Career Advice

28:28 The Role of Private Equity in Sports

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