Sport marketing in an era of sustainability – responsibilities, opportunities, and pitfalls for strategic marketing in and through sport

As sustainability becomes an increasingly central concern across industries, the sport sector finds itself at a critical intersection of visibility, accountability, and innovation. This article explores how sustainability, once considered a peripheral ideal or a public relations gesture, now functions as a strategic imperative for sport organisations and, crucially, for sport marketing. Drawing upon the Triple Bottom Line framework, the discussion highlights how sport marketers are called not only to promote sustainability agendas externally but also to embed them internally—within the core of brand strategy, stakeholder communication, and organisational legitimacy. In doing so, sustainability emerges as both a lens and a lever for meaningful change. This editorial outlines three interdependent dimensions—opportunities, responsibilities, and pitfalls—through which sport marketing must now navigate its evolving role in this era of sustainability. Ultimately, this editorial and the broader special issue on Sport Marketing in an Era of Sustainability frame sustainability not as a passing trend, but as a defining challenge and opportunity for the strategic future of marketing in and through sport.