Recapping Sports in Atlanta at AMA’s Celebrating the Global Games
Last week, the American Marketing Association's Atlanta chapter filled the College Football Hall of Fame for Celebrating the Global Games, an evening that doubled as a reckoning for what Atlanta has built as a sports city and where it's headed.
The AMA Atlanta chapter has been around for 40 years, but this one carried more weight. With the FIFA World Cup coming to Atlanta in 2026, the conversation wasn't just celebratory. It was a city making its case.
"Atlanta has imposter syndrome," said Sharon Harris, one of the event's organizers and VP of Strategy at AMA, in an interview ahead of the evening. "We have an embarrassment of bragging about our riches in sports, culture, gaming, and brands. Other cities aren’t afraid to pound their chests about their wins.”
It's a fair self-assessment. Atlanta recently claimed the title of best city for sports business in the country, home to the Braves, Falcons, Hawks, Atlanta United, and a growing esports scene with Ghost Gaming represented at the event.
The evening centered on a panel exploring Atlanta's rise as a sports hub, with a strong focus on soccer. Panelist Cori Dubose who is a manager at the new F1 Arcade Atlanta called out F1 as one of the fastest-growing fanbases in sports today and discussed what bringing that culture to Atlanta looks like. Harris noted that soccer is already showing up organically at MARTA stations, especially via programs like Station Soccer. That kind of grassroots presence is exactly what sets Atlanta apart.
Gaming got serious attention too. Panelists pushed back on the idea that esports is a niche play: more than 50% of gamers today are women, and half are over 35. Atlanta is already competing for that audience with events like DreamHack happening annually. The thread connecting sports, gaming, and hip-hop surfaced repeatedly throughout the night as three industries thriving here and accessible to everyone.
The World Cup framing gave the event its urgency. Speakers talked about community building on a global scale, getting every part of the city involved through watch fests, from The Carter Center to Decatur Square. Anyone can participate in some way. That's the point.
For the marketers in the room, the practical takeaway was clear. Chasing ROI in sports and esports partnerships misses the opportunity. In video games, you're the protagonist. In the World Cup, there's a small entry point for everyone. Brands that understand that will connect. The ones running straight to impressions won't.
Harris was direct about what AMA wants to demonstrate: the storytelling, the creative work, the advertising coming out of Atlanta that is being done by local talent. Not shipped elsewhere. That's the story worth telling, especially with the World Cup and a larger audience on the horizon.