Sports-related business has expanded and diversified over the past decade. In Finland, however, it remains largely local, consumer-driven and dominated by small operators. At the same time, several promising and growing ecosystems can be identified, each with its own logic, markets and conditions for development. This is one of the findings of a study conducted by 4FRONT for the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture between January and August 2026.
The study examined four sub-ecosystems of sports business: manufacturing and production, sports services, sports and event business, and technology and digital services. These sub-ecosystems differ significantly in their revenue logics, markets, and conditions for growth and internationalisation: technology and digital services, for example, are international and scalable by nature, whereas sports services and sports and event business are strongly local and sensitive to economic cycles.
The sector’s structure is weighted towards small service providers, yet the bulk of its revenue is generated in manufacturing – with the highest company-level revenues concentrated in sports technology. The sector is also multi-actor in nature: the boundaries and collaboration between the private, public and third sectors are prominent throughout, and the same actor can simultaneously be a partner, a customer, a subcontractor and a competitor.
The societal significance of the sports sector extends beyond its economic impact to wellbeing, health and work ability. These characteristics create both opportunities and challenges for developing the sector.
The study is recommending launching a national growth programme for sports business, clarifying cooperation and ground rules between sectors, strengthening the sector’s renewal and internationalisation, and improving the knowledge base and impact measurement.
Read the full report (in Finnish): The study of the sports business ecosystem in Finland
For more information, please contact Vesa Salminen, vesa.salminen@4front.fi
Picture: Unplash
