Sports Club Mergers Are No Route To Growth

One of the key things that differentiate the sports business from most other types of economic activity is the rarity of significant growth through acquisition or mergers. The recent events in Paris, which saw an agreement to merge between the owners of Stade Francais and Racing 92 unravel almost overnight-overwhelmed by dissent from players, fans and much of the media was a case in point. A few years ago a proposal to link Bayonne to Biarritz did not even get to that stage before it was stymied. Whereas in most sectors it is accepted that one legitimate aim may be to drive your rivals out of …