innovating the business of sport: a systematic review of cross-industry business model innovation with a focus on fitness

Purpose: this study aims to examine how business model innovation (bmi) practices from various industries can inform the development of innovative and adaptive business models in the sports sector, particularly in fitness. by identifying transferable strategies, the research seeks to support the application of cross-industry innovation to enhance resilience, value creation, and sustainable growth in sport industry. methods: a systematic review was conducted following the prisma framework. relevant studies were retrieved from web of science and scopus. the initial search yielded 426 records, which were manually analyzed using thematic synthesis techniques. after removing duplicates and applying inclusion criteria, 41 studies were selected for final analysis. result: analysis of 41 studies reveals that digitalization, consumer shifts, and market disruptions drive business model innovation in sports and fitness. key innovations include hybrid digital-physical models and hyper-specialization, enabled by ai and data analytics to transition from services to outcome-based offerings. cross-industry adaptations enhance resilience, diversify revenue, and improve customer loyalty. critical gaps remain in long-term sustainability and ethical data implementation. conclusion: this review concludes that business model innovation (bmi) is a critical catalyst for transformation, pivoting the sports industry towards a hybrid, intelligent, and experiential future. however, this evolution is challenged by concerns regarding long-term economic sustainability, data ethics, and digital equity. future success necessitates strategic ambidexterity from practitioners balancing innovation with core stability and further interdisciplinary research into the longitudinal impacts and inclusive design of these models to ensure equitable and viable industry growth.