Master Sports Business and Communication (M.A.)

Prof. Dr. David Wagner, academic director of the SBC master’s program: Dear Ms. Scharf, could you please introduce yourself briefly? What connects you with the world of sports? What are important career stages? And what hat are your current areas of responsibility?

Julia Scharf: My name is Julia Scharf, I am a sports presenter for the ARD Sportschau and BR Fernsehen. I mainly report on soccer and winter sports. Sport has always been very important in my life. I myself was active in the national vaulting squad. I worked as a trainer in various countries and was also involved in training coaches. As co-trainer of my team we won the World Cup in 2000.
After studying sports science and media/communication, I did a traineeship at the Munich newspaper publishing house. Afterwards I started at SPORT1 and got many opportunities to present live sports broadcasts. In 2011 I changed to SWR and thus to ARD Sport. Later BR became my home channel within ARD.
Currently I present the ARD Sportschau on Sunday, the Blickpunkt Sport on BR Fernsehen, the Abendschau and many live events, especially in winter.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: Which course in the SBC curriculum do you teach?

Julia Scharf: I teach “Practical Journalistic Exercises” and specifically do a camera and TV coaching for the students.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: What is the focus of this course? Why is this course important for a career in sports business?

Julia Scharf: I attach particular importance to a journalistic preparation of the content, presentation and feedback are also important to me. In the sports business you often have to be in front of the camera. Be it as a journalist or because I want to spread my message in a corporate video. Even as an expert, knowledge is often needed in front of the camera. That’s why I think it is important for all industries nowadays to be able to sell yourself confidently, sympathetically and authentically in front of the camera.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: What is your favorite component of the course, for example a particular case study, exercise or excursion?

Julia Scharf: In my workshop, you can achieve great progress with just a few exercises. I enjoy seeing how quickly the participants develop. At the end we always have a talk show.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: How do you personally connect science and practice and how important is this connection to you?

Julia Scharf: In my job, media research is particularly important. If we are developing programs and content on all channels, we need to know how viewers’ viewing habits are changing. That’s why studies and surveys in this area are particularly important to me. I also keep an eye on how sports and viewer behaviour change. I am often asked to describe my impressions on such topics for interviews in final papers.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: In your opinion, what is the unique selling proposition, the special feature of the Sports Business and Communication program and Munich Business School in general?

Julia Scharf: They are small but motivated groups. The personal contact and the many practical projects are unique.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: Which advantages do SBC graduates have in your opinion when it comes to applications and employment in the sports sector?

Julia Scharf: They already know many decision-makers from the sports industry, as many lecturers come directly from the practice. Through projects and international experience they are well prepared for their career start.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: To conclude: What has been the highlight so far in your time as an MBS lecturer?

Julia Scharf: An event in which I had the handball world champion Dominik Klein as a guest. He not only patiently practiced live interviews with all the participants, but also told us a lot about his career and his time after competitive sports.

The interview can also be found on the MBS Blog Insights.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner, academic director of the SBC master’s program: Dear Mr. Kottmeier, can you please introduce yourself briefly? What connects you with the world of sports? What are important career stages? What are your current areas of responsibility?

Jörg Kottmeier: My name is Jörg Kottmeier. After a commercial apprenticeship at Bertelsmann AG and a traineeship at the Mindener Tageblatt, I studied journalism (minor subjects: politics, sociology; special subject: sports) in Munich. Since the age of 17, I have been writing reports and taking photographs as a freelancer in sports – first at the Mindener Tageblatt, then at the Münchner Merkur and other publications. After eight years at the sports news agency SID (Sport-Informations-Dienst) from 1994 to 2002, I moved to sports communications at BMW AG and was responsible for PR communications for all BMW sports commitments. Since 2018 I have been in charge of the Editorial Hub at the BMW Group, a kind of media house for worldwide PR communication.
Sport was and is an important part of my (professional) life. Whether at district football matches or the World Cup, at the TuS Minderheide sports festival or the Olympic Games in Atlanta and Sydney – as a journalist I have been driven through the (sports) world as well as a press spokesman on the other side of the communication curtain. In a responsible position for BMW, I was able to accompany Formula One races, the Ryder Cup, the America’s Cup, the BMW Marathon and many more for years.
At the same time, I also try to keep myself fit. Formerly in basketball, today on the bike or in the gym.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: Which course in the SBC curriculum do you teach?

Jörg Kottmeier: I have been teaching Corporate Communications and Public Relations at MBS for several years.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: What is the focus of this course? Why is this course important for a career in sports business?

Jörg Kottmeier: It’s about gaining an insight into the practice of sports communication. From the perspective of the news agency journalist as well as from the perspective of the corporate communicator. As a trained journalist, I can show a lot of practical experience from both sides of the curtain and garnish it with some theory. The focus lies definitely on practice.
There are many opportunities to gain a foothold in the sports business. If you want to get into the communication sector, this course is the right one for you.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: What is your favorite component of the course, for example a particular case study, exercise or excursion?

Jörg Kottmeier: Practical exercises of all kinds – this comes closest to reality. Preferably under time pressure on a specific sports topic. If time allows, we visit a sports event in the course and report directly from the event in agency style – preferably before it is finished. Just as it is done every day at a sports news agency. Further writing exercises in the course have also met with a good response so far. Be it from the perspective of the journalist or from the perspective of corporate communications. The news or press releases are then discussed in detail.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: How do you personally connect science and practice and how important is this connection to you?

Jörg Kottmeier: This is extremely important to me. Theory is a must, but only theory can get you nowhere in practice. As a student of journalism, I had to put up with a lot of theory and I was always very happy about the practical exercises, because they were realistic and interactive and because (mostly) professionals reported from their daily practice. I assume that the course participants still prefer an exciting story to a 20-page PowerPoint presentation or a theory textbook.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: In your opinion, what is the unique selling proposition, the special feature of the Sports Business and Communication program and Munich Business School in general?

Jörg Kottmeier: The students at MBS usually have a broader scope because they have already completed their bachelor’s studies or have been professionally engaged. This view beyond the horizon is very important, especially in the media sector. MBS also succeeds in attracting interesting lecturers who offer a special look behind the scenes of their profession.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: Which advantages do SBC graduates have in your opinion when it comes to applications and employment in the sports sector?

Jörg Kottmeier: Thanks to the many lecturers from all angles of the sports business, MBS graduates receive a sound and broad insight into the subject matter. In addition, they can specialize during their studies and pick out focal points. All of this should help them to focus, quickly gain a foothold in professional life and then be successful.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: What changes will the sports industry undergo in the coming years?

Jörg Kottmeier: This is a very complex question. Let’s try a short answer: Digitization will bring about changes for all participants. Furthermore, Corona could become a accelerator of transformation. I believe fewer editors will have to communicate more topics with less budget. This will be more target group-specific across all channels. Real breaking news nowadays only have a very, very short life. Real storytelling is more important than ever. In short: The industry is in upheaval.

Prof. Dr. David Wagner: To conclude: What has been the highlight so far in your time as an MBS lecturer?

Jörg Kottmeier: There was once a trip from the north of Munich to MBS, which took almost two hours and cost me an endless amount of nerves. It usually takes 15 to 20 minutes to get there. Everything was different that day: there were traffic jams everywhere, nothing worked anymore and all side roads were closed. At some point I finally rolled into the yard and we could finally start the course. After all: Everyone was waiting, no one had run away.

The interview can also be found on the MBS Blog Insights.

Jakob von der Wense, SBC student at MBS: Dear Mr. Marqués, can you please introduce yourself briefly? What connects you with the world of sports? What are important career stages? What are your current areas of responsibility?

Mike Marqués: My passion for sport has always been there. However, I only entered the sports business through my involvement in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2011 and 2012 as Head of Business Development for commercial partnerships, both on a team and global level.
I believe that niche sports have a high untapped marketing and sponsorship potential for companies. Therefore, I founded EKINOMIOUS Sports Management in 2013 together with a partner. Here I manage all commercial and marketing aspects of the projects we run. The focus lies in the area of sailing. Currently I am supporting the campaign of the offshore solo sailor Boris Hermann as Sponsoring Manager. He will sail the Everest of the sailors, the Non-Stop Solo Round the World Race Vendée Globe next November.

Jakob von der Wense: Which course in the SBC curriculum do you teach?

Mike Marqués: I taught Sports Marketing and Sponsorship for the first time last semester, together with Prof. Todd Davey. Todd focused on the theory, I focused on the practical part with a wealth of examples from different business areas of the sports industry. I am looking forward to working here in the future as I really enjoy working with other lecturers and the SBC students.

Jakob von der Wense: What is the focus of this course? Why is this course important for a career in sports business?

Mike Marqués: Marketing is the cornerstone of the sports business. Without it, there would be no business in or with sports. No company or stakeholder would invest time, resources and, lastly, capital into the space should there be no return from their investment. 
Thus, it is key to understand the whole portfolio of marketing areas that a stakeholder can and should leverage to make his investment in the sport worthwhile. In my course, we focus in applying the marketing mix into real life scenarios. Brand activation plays a very important role and we look into applying it to the different rights and benefits that a marketeer in charge of a campaign can use: image and messaging values, PR, relationship building, communication, B2B, experiences, etc. I also like to cover a balanced distribution of topics. Brand activation and brand marketing for industry leaders, such as football, is usually easier than for niche sports, such as sailing and Formula E. However, it is precisely by looking at these areas you learn what marketing really means.

Jakob von der Wense: What is your favorite component of the course, for example a particular case study, exercise or excursion?

Mike Marqués: There were two highlights for me. Firstly, the case study of Maria Sharapova as it covers the whole athlete life cycle and all the problems and barriers that a brand manager needs to consider and overcome to be successful with such an attractive but complex marketing platform.
Besides that, another highlight was the final project. The students were required to develop the marketing strategy for a new global racing series as part of their final evaluation. It was very rewarding to guide them during the development of their recommendations and I especially enjoyed their presentations and discussions in class. The creativity of the students is great.

Jakob von der Wense: How do you personally connect science and practice and how important is this connection to you?

Mike Marqués: For me this is key. Most of what I teach is based on my experience running one of the largest events globally, the former Volvo Ocean Race. It is a nine-month long round the world race that stops in ten to eleven countries, with a full-blown two-week race village in each city it visits. It is considered one of the most complex sporting events out there. With its unique combination of various stakeholders, from event owner (Volvo) to the teams and city sponsors, it comprises all aspects of the marketing mix. It was a great learning experience for me and I can now apply this knowledge in a scientific context.

Jakob von der Wense: In your opinion, what is the unique selling proposition, the special feature of the Sports Business and Communication program and Munich Business School in general?

Mike Marqués: The great combination of theory and applied science as well as the good mix of teachers and activities. The SBC master’s program is uniquely positioned to form students who become key players in the sport industry of Germany and Europe. I also consider the integrated semester abroad a great added value. In our internationally networked world, a stay abroad is almost indispensable to understand how other countries function and how to position companies and platforms internationally.

Jakob von der Wense: Which advantages do SBC graduates have in your opinion when it comes to applications and employment in the sports sector?

Mike Marqués: The players in the sports business recognize the SBC master’s program and Munich Business School as a very good platform for finding talents who have the potential to take on future management tasks. The students are often passionate sportsmen and women themselves and try to get the best out of their studies and the courses offered. This is well known in the industry.

Jakob von der Wense: What changes will the sports industry undergo in the coming years?

Mike Marqués: The trend towards virtual marketing activation via social media channels has intensified. The area that is suffering most, experience marketing, is developing new tools and platforms to reach its audiences, e.g. via virtual races and games. Despite social distancing, companies still require brand activation to reach their clients and partners. Furthermore, e-sports will gain in importance. This market has boomed during the pandemic and has significantly accelerated the strong growth of recent years. There are even voices which favor a participation in the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year. This interesting development should be monitored closely.

Jakob von der Wense: To conclude: What has been the highlight so far in your time as an MBS lecturer?

Mike Marqués: In the past semester we had the honor to host Benno Ruwe, Head of International Relationships and Product Development at FC Bayern München, in our class. He explained in detail how FC Bayern München managed to become a household name in the extremely competitive US sporting market. It was an excellent case study on how to apply concrete marketing theories to enter a new market with a new sport, not followed by many, and which takes place one ocean away.