Sports, Diplomacy, and the American Sports Decade: Travis Murphy, Founder and CEO of Jetr Global Sports & Entertainment

The next 10 years are kind of unprecedented for the United States in terms of global sporting events coming here. Let’s do a quick review:

• FIFA Club World Cup coming later this year.
• FIFA World Cup in 2026.
• LA Olympics in 2028.
• FIFA Women’s World Cup AND Rugby World Cup will both be here in 2031.
• Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2034.

That’s a lot to take in. And it’s going to require a herculean effort from both event organizers and government officials to make these monumental international events run smoothly.

No one knows this better than Travis Murphy, the Founder and CEO of Jetr Global Sports and Entertainment.

Travis began his career working for the State Department in embassies around the world, and saw first hand how sports could easily bridge cultural gaps. He eventually helped lead sports diplomacy initiatives for the State Department and then joined the NBA to enhance the global reach of basketball. With more leagues trying to emulate the NBA’s international success, Travis decided to carve his own path with Jetr. And almost immediately found himself playing a key role in helping negotiate the release of basketball star Brittney Griner from Russian prison.

In our conversation, we talk about the events leading to Griner's release, what needs to be done leading up to all those global events, and what’s lost when the United States is no longer interested in using soft power like sports and retreats from the global stage.