Vietnam sports economy valued at up to $2.5bn: sports authority

The agreement will support research, professional exchanges, conferences, forums, communications activities and business networking initiatives to help raise awareness of sports economics and provide reference data for policymakers, local authorities, sports federations, event organizers, and businesses.

The partnership follows three editions of the Vietnam Sports Economy Forum, which has brought together government officials, experts, investors, businesses, and event organizers to discuss development of the sector.

At the 2026 forum, organizers released a report on Vietnam's sports economy, one of the first efforts to provide data and analysis on the country's sports market.

According to estimates cited from Statista, the global sports market, including media rights, sponsorships, and ticket sales, is worth more than $400 billion to $500 billion, while the broader sports economy exceeds $600 billion when related sectors such as betting, equipment, tourism, and technology are included.

The report estimated the size of Vietnam's sports economy at $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion using a combination of macroeconomic and segment-based analysis.

It said the sector encompasses a broad ecosystem including sports apparel and equipment consumption, grassroots sports, sports tourism, media, and related activities.

Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet, director of the Sports Authority of Vietnam, said cooperation with partners was expected to help generate additional resources for the development of the country's sports industry, including through athlete and national team branding and broadcasting rights for domestic sporting events.

Vietcontent chief executive Tran Thuy Chi said Vietnam's sports sector had focused primarily on athletic performance in recent years, while commercial exploitation of sporting events and athletes' images remained limited.

She added that stronger development of the sports economy could help increase the value of Vietnamese sports.