The first text to fully explore the issue of ownership and governance of international events. Split onto two distinct parts of ‘Theory’ and ‘Cases’, it presents cases from sports as well as non-sports events, in addition to general principles regarding ownership and governance based on historical, legal and managerial considerations. Ownership and Governance of International Events explores these events as global common goods owned by communities of participants, be they athletes, spectators, visitors, tourists, fans, media consumers, local residents and their required partnership between public authorities (at local, regional and national levels) and private bodies (NGOs and commercial organisations). It argues that this perspective of an event as a ‘common good’ helps mega events to be better sustained over the long run and facilitates their acceptability by local residents and wider public opinion.