PLATFORM GOVERNANCE AND VALUE CO-CREATION IN GLOBAL SPORT

This study employs a comparative qualitative document analysis of FIFA+ and the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) digital ecosystem, drawing on seven institutional documents and eight peerreviewed publications. Guided by multi-sided platform economics, ecosystem-as-structure theory, and research on value co-creation in sport, the study examines six dimensions of platform governance: orchestration, partner access, interoperability, data stewardship, value allocation, and safeguards. According to official sources, FIFA+ recorded 211 million unique users during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, while the Olympic Web and App attracted 325 million monthly unique users during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. However, differences in measurement scope and reporting methodologies prevent direct comparisons between these figures. The findings highlight distinct governance approaches: FIFA+ emphasizes centralized content aggregation and commercial distribution, whereas the IOC's digital ecosystem integrates event-centred communication channels with an established media-rights network. Although both models support audience engagement and expand digital reach, publicly available evidence is insufficient to determine platform-level revenues or assess the equitable distribution of benefits among participating stakeholders. The proposed analytical framework remains conceptual and requires further empirical validation. Accordingly, the findings do not establish causal relationships or suggest a universally applicable model of platform governance in global sport.