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mba sports management Pune
MBA in Sports Management in India — 2-Year UGC Approved Degree, ISST Pune

The MBA in Sports Management That Builds the Leaders India's Sports Industry Actually Needs.

Most MBA graduates spend their first five years in sport catching up to what the industry demands. The MBA in Sports Management at ISST Pune is designed to close that gap before you graduate — through a curriculum built entirely around the business of sport, live projects with IPL and ISL organisations, and a guaranteed internship with one of 180+ hiring partners.

2-Year MBA Sports Management After Graduation UGC Approved* — TMV* ISPA Accredited — USA
  • ✓ Sports business strategy, sponsorship, media rights and franchising — the MBA curriculum built entirely for sport
  • ✓ Live projects with IPL teams, sports federations and global sporting bodies
  • ✓ Placement support with 180+ hiring organisations including BCCI, IMG, Star Sports and more
  • ✓ Faculty who work in professional sport — not academics who study it from the outside
Apply for the 2026-27 Batch See the Curriculum

Seats are limited. Early applications close June 30.

Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth* — UGC Approved* MBA
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2008 Founded — India's First
12,000+ Alumni in Sport
180+ Hiring Partners
100% Internship Placement
UGC* Approved Degree
ISPA Accredited — Chicago, USA
The Case for a Sports MBA

The Sports Industry Has Become Genuinely Complex. Its Leaders Need to Match That.

A decade ago, sports management in India was largely administrative. Today it involves media rights deals worth hundreds of crores, franchise valuations, streaming negotiations, athlete brand management and international federation partnerships. The professionals running these functions need more than a general MBA, they need a masters in sports management in Pune.
"The people making the big decisions in Indian sport are not the most passionate fans. They are the most prepared professionals."

The sports industry in India has changed fundamentally in the last decade. The IPL has proven that a well-managed sporting league can become one of the most valuable media properties in the world. That model is now being replicated in football, hockey, kabaddi, basketball and a dozen other disciplines. Each of those leagues needs people who understand both sport and business — at a serious level.

General MBA programmes teach business. They do not teach you how to structure a broadcast deal with a streaming platform, how to value a player's commercial rights, or how to build a sponsorship portfolio for a cricket franchise. You have to learn that in the industry, usually the hard way, or you have to train specifically for it.

The mba in sports management at ISST has been doing the latter since before India's sports industry became what it is today. The programme's 18-year track record is visible in the alumni network — COOs, marketing directors, franchise heads and federation executives who are now among the most senior professionals in Indian sport.

Rs. 8L+ Average Starting Package
2 Yrs Full MBA Programme
IPL Live Project Partner Access
18 Yrs Building the Industry
The Honest Comparison

What a General MBA Gives You vs. What a Sports MBA Gives You

The question every applicant asks is whether sports management courses are worth the specialisation. Here is the honest answer.

A General MBA Typically Gives You
  • ✕Business theory applied across sectors — only some of which you will ever work in
  • ✕A network of peers across industries — valuable, but not the sports industry specifically
  • ✕Case studies from FMCG, consulting and banking — not from sports franchises or federations
  • ✕A degree that employers in sport see frequently — and are not especially excited by
  • ✕No practical exposure to sports organisations during the programme
  • ✕A career in sport that starts from the same place as everyone else applying for the same role
The ISST MBA in Sports Management Gives You
  • ✓A curriculum built entirely around the business of sport — franchising, media, sponsorship, events, governance
  • ✓Direct access to 12,000+ alumni in senior roles across Indian and international sport
  • ✓Live projects with professional sports organisations — real problems, real stakes
  • ✓A degree that hiring managers at sports organisations recognise and actively recruit from
  • ✓A guaranteed internship inside the sports ecosystem — not a generic corporate placement
  • ✓A two-year head start in an industry where most people spend their first five years catching up
The Programme

Two Years That Cover Every Dimension of the Sports Business

Year 1 builds the business and management foundations within a sports context. Year 2 moves into specialisation, strategy and live project work with industry partners.

Year 1 — Core Business of Sport

Strategy

Sports Business Strategy and Planning

How sporting organisations set direction, build competitive advantage and make strategic decisions in a volatile industry environment.

Commercial

Sponsorship and Brand Management in Sport

Sponsorship deal structures, brand valuation, activation planning and the commercial relationship between sport and business.

Media

Sports Media, Broadcasting and Digital Rights

How media rights are valued, negotiated and monetised — including OTT, streaming, broadcast and digital content strategies.

Operations

Sports Event Management and Operations

Planning, logistics, stakeholder management and commercial delivery of major sporting events from local competitions to international meets.

Finance

Sports Finance and Franchise Valuation

P&L management for sports organisations, franchise economics, player contract structuring and financial modelling in professional sport.

Law

Sports Law, Governance and Ethics

Legal frameworks governing sport — contracts, player rights, doping regulations, federation governance and dispute resolution.

Year 2 — Specialisation and Live Projects

Specialisation

Athlete Representation and Management

Managing an athlete's commercial portfolio, brand partnerships, career planning and contractual negotiations with clubs and sponsors.

Specialisation

Sports Marketing and Fan Engagement

Building audience, creating loyalty, digital marketing and the psychological and commercial drivers of fan behaviour in sport.

Applied

Industry Internship — Professional Placement

Six months embedded within a sports organisation from ISST's 180+ partner network. Real roles, real responsibilities and a direct line to full-time employment.

Capstone

MBA Dissertation — Live Organisational Project

A full research and strategy project commissioned by or conducted in partnership with a real sports organisation. The most meaningful MBA project you will produce.

Why ISST Specifically

Six Reasons Sports Professionals Choose This MBA Over Any Other

There are other sports management colleges in Pune. There is only one that has been placing graduates into the senior roles of Indian sport for 18 years.

01

Sports-Only Faculty — No Generalists

Every subject in the MBA is taught by a practitioner who works or has worked inside professional sport. You are not learning sports business from a management textbook — you are learning it from someone who has negotiated the deals.

02

Live Industry Access From Semester One

Guest lectures, panel sessions, industry visits and live projects begin in the first semester. By the time your internship starts in Year 2, you have already spent 12 months building relationships inside the industry.

03

The Largest Sports Alumni Network in India

12,000+ ISST graduates are working across Indian and international sport. When you enrol, you inherit that network — and you will spend two years making direct relationships with the senior alumni who come in to speak, mentor and hire.

04

180+ Hiring Partners — Not a Generic Job Portal

ISST has active placement relationships with 180+ organisations including BCCI, IMG Reliance, Star Sports, Pro Kabaddi League franchises, ISL clubs, SAI and leading sports marketing agencies. These partners recruit from ISST specifically.

05

UGC* Degree With International Accreditation

The MBA is awarded by Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth* — UGC approved*. The ISPA accreditation (Chicago, USA) means the degree carries global recognition. This matters when you are applying to international roles or postgraduate programmes abroad.

06

The Reputation That Precedes You

When you send your resume to a sports organisation with ISST on it, the person reading it already knows what that means. That is worth more than any description of the programme content — and it is something you carry throughout your career.

Where You Land

Senior Roles the MBA Opens Up

MBA graduates enter the industry at a different level than those with undergraduate qualifications — and their trajectory reflects that from the first year of employment.

Sports Marketing Manager

Rs. 7L – 18L

Sponsorship Manager

Rs. 8L – 20L

Franchise Operations Director

Rs. 12L – 30L

Media Rights Executive

Rs. 9L – 22L

Athlete Management Professional

Rs. 7L – 25L

Event Director — Major Sports

Rs. 8L – 18L

Sports Federation Executive

Rs. 8L – 20L

Chief Commercial Officer — Sports Org

Rs. 20L – 60L+
From People Who Did It

What Two Years at ISST Actually Built

"I came in with a commerce degree and a passion for cricket. I left with a job offer from an IPL franchise's marketing division. The MBA did not just teach me the industry — it put me inside it while I was still a student."

V
Vikram S.
Head of Marketing, IPL Franchise

"The faculty are not professors — they are practitioners. The person who taught sports media rights has actually negotiated broadcast deals. That context makes every lecture a masterclass rather than a theory session."

S
Shruti K.
Content Strategy Lead, OTT Sports Platform
Common Questions

MBA in Sports Management — Everything You Need to Know

The questions applicants ask us most before enrolling in the MBA in Sports Management at ISST Pune.

What is an MBA in Sports Management?
An MBA in Sports Management is a 2-year postgraduate degree that combines core MBA business fundamentals with sports-specific subjects — sponsorship, media rights, franchise management, event operations, sports law and athlete management. At ISST Pune it is a UGC-approved degree awarded through Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth.
Who is eligible for MBA in Sports Management in India?
Any graduate from any discipline is eligible. There is no GMAT or entrance test requirement at ISST Pune. Fresh graduates, working professionals and career switchers from non-sports backgrounds are all eligible.
Is the MBA in Sports Management at ISST Pune a UGC-recognised degree?
Yes. The MBA in Sports Management at ISST Pune is awarded by Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, a UGC-recognised university. It carries the same legal weight as an MBA from any conventional Indian university.
What careers can I get after an MBA in Sports Management?
MBA graduates from ISST work as Sports Marketing Managers, Sponsorship Managers, Franchise Operations Directors, Media Rights Executives, Athlete Management Professionals, Federation Executives and Chief Commercial Officers at IPL franchises, ISL clubs, BCCI, Star Sports, SAI, Nike, Adidas and Puma.
Does the MBA in Sports Management include an internship?
Yes — a 6-month industry internship is built into the Year 2 programme structure. It is placed inside one of ISST's 180+ partner organisations including IPL franchises, ISL clubs, sports brands and media companies. In 18 years, 100% of enrolled students have received an internship placement.
What is the average salary after MBA in Sports Management?
MBA graduates from ISST Pune enter the industry at Rs. 7–12 lakh starting packages, with senior roles progressing to Rs. 20–60 lakh. Roles at IPL franchise level and sports broadcasters represent the higher end of the range.
Which is the best college for MBA in Sports Management in India?
ISST Pune is India's first dedicated sports education institute, operating since 2008. With 12,000+ alumni in active sports industry roles, 180+ hiring partners, 100% internship placement and ISPA accreditation from Chicago USA, it is consistently recognised as the leading institute for MBA in Sports Management in India.

Have a question not answered here? Speak to an admissions advisor →

Apply for the 2026 Batch

India's Sports Industry Is Not Waiting. Neither Should You.

The professionals running IPL franchises, ISL clubs and sports broadcasters made one decision early: to prepare seriously for the career they wanted. The MBA in Sports Management at ISST Pune is what that preparation looks like.

Apply for the 2026-27 Batch Call +91 84596 95372

Seats for the 2026-27 intake are limited. Early applications close 30 June. Once the cohort fills, the next entry point is the following academic year.

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