More than 50 speakers on two stages discussed the economics of broadcasting, soccer, padel, mass sports, and the reintegration of veterans into active life.
On October 28, the Barvy Event Hall in Lviv hosted the 6th All-Ukrainian Sports Marketing Conference, SBC Summit Ukraine 2026 Lviv. For the first time in the summit’s history, the organizers held the event outside of Kyiv, and Lviv responded with a full house.
More than 50 speakers took the stage across two venues, and 673 participants spent the entire day discussing funding, audiences, and the infrastructure of Ukrainian sports. The event was co-organized by the Ukrainian Mass Sports Agency and the Lviv City Council’s Sports Office.
BETKING served as the summit’s general sponsor, RIEL as the construction partner, and GGBET as the premium sponsor. Other partners included Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack, Kappa, Play Vision, Lviv’s premium sports club UNI FORCE, and PRAVDA beer, which brewed a special batch of Blanche for the participants. The social sector was represented by HeroCar, the 15th “Kara-Dag” Special Operations Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, and the KNUBA Institute of Veterans.
Guests included representatives of clubs, leagues, and federations, as well as company executives, marketers, media professionals, and athletes. Participants were welcomed by Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv Regional State Administration, and Mayor Andriy Sadovyi.
The main stage opened with a conversation between Matviy Bidnyi and ICTV host Andriy Kovalskyi about sports in a time of transformation. They discussed how to encourage children to participate in regular training and how to distribute responsibility among the state, communities, federations, and the business sector.
The regional dimension of the summit was most fully explored during the panel discussion “Sports as an Investment in the Future of the Lviv Region.” Anton Nikulin, Director of the Lviv City Council’s Sports Office, and Roman Khimyak, Director of the Department of Sports, Youth, and Tourism of the Lviv Regional State Administration, spoke about sports as a tool for regional development, which requires modern infrastructure, systematic work by sports organizations, and full-fledged cooperation with the business community. Yuriy Turyansky, head of the Lviv Regional Branch of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, and Petro Adamyk, president of the Lviv Region Rugby Federation, joined the discussion, which was moderated by Mykola Matrosov.
The commercial core of the program was the panel discussion “Who Pays for Sports.” Ukrainian Premier League (UPL) President Yevhen Dykyi, along with representatives from MEGOGO, Kyivstar TV, Tribuna.com, and 1+1 Media, analyzed the economics of broadcasts, advertising, and sponsorship—from broadcasting rights to models of collaboration with brands.
GGBET CEO Serhiy Mishchenko and commentator Vitaliy Volochay looked at the 2026 World Cup through the eyes of a bookmaker.
UAF Secretary General Ihor Hryshchenko called fans the main asset of the soccer industry. Andriy Rebrina, Director of the Mass Sports Agency, spoke about the barriers that prevent people from taking their first step into sports.
Entrepreneurs discussed the role of business in the country’s sustainability during a panel moderated by Oleksiy Braga, CEO of Sport Business Media Agency.
Padel received special attention. Oleksiy Dniprov, President of the Ukrainian Padel Federation and Vice President of the NOC, answered questions about how this new sport is developing its own market in Ukraine. The federation brought a miniature court to the summit, where Zalizko Courts explained the investment rationale behind padel infrastructure.
One of the most important discussions of the day centered on veterans. The panel “Human Potential Without Barriers” featured two-time Paralympic champion Viktor Didukh, Roman Gapachilo, president of the “Nezlamni” para-hockey club, as well as representatives from the Institute of “Architecture of Sustainability,” the “Veteran Spirit of Lviv” club, and the Shakhtar Social Charitable Foundation.
They discussed rehabilitation and the return to an active life through sports. The topic had a very specific Lviv dimension. The day before, on October 27, the city opened the “Hakivka” ice rink, equipped for people with disabilities, where the “Unbreakables” sledge hockey players will train. The Lviv City Council’s Sports Office presented the new facility at its booth.
The main stage program concluded with a discussion on Lviv’s sports identity. Participants included Olympic medalist Stanislav Horuna, “Karpaty” CEO Andriy Rusol, and UEFA Cup winner Artem Fedetskyi.
At the same time, discussions on the Best Practice Stage focused on media partnerships, creativity, and the digital transformation of Ukrainian soccer.
