Gerard Piqué debuts as a professor at Harvard analyzing the success of the Kings League
Former Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué has ventured into the academic field by debuting as a guest professor at the prestigious Harvard University. There, he presented a case study focused on the Kings League, the innovative 7-a-side football competition that has revolutionized sports entertainment since 2023. Piqué participated in the MBA class “Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports”, led by the renowned professor Anita Elberse, who, along with the Spanish researcher David Moreno, developed an exhaustive analysis of the business model, the digital impact, and the international growth of the league created by the former FC Barcelona player.A special return to Harvard
The Catalan had already taken an intensive version of this same program in 2017, also under the guidance of Elberse. Since then, his transition from professional football to sports entrepreneurship has become a case study closely followed by prestigious academic institutions.The Kings League: A Global Phenomenon
During the class, it was examined how the Kings League managed to capture young audiences through a formula based on:- Innovative rules, such as special cards and double goals.
- Native digital format, designed for platforms like Twitch and TikTok.
- Participation of major content creators, including Ibai Llanos, TheGrefg, Rivers, Kun Agüero and others.
- Hybrid model between sport and entertainment, with elements of spectacle.
- Accelerated expansion, which already includes leagues in Spain, Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, the Middle East and North Africa, with plans to reach the United States.
Several students attended the class wearing FC Barcelona t-shirts and were photographed with the former defender after the presentation.It’s an honor that the Kings League is being analyzed by an institution as respected as Harvard Business School. The study validates the impact of our work.
Gerard Piqué
