At that point, [the Islanders] viewed themselves as kind of a failed franchise that had not won a Stanley Cup in a decade and was coming down from this period of great success, said Nick Hirshon, the author of We Want Fish Sticks, which chronicles the Islanders' controversial rebranding, and a journalism professor at William Paterson University. And now the Rangers just won the Stanley Cup in that market, the Devils were on the up, and up, so maybe the Islanders could not afford a brand new arena or new players, but they could make some money by unveiling a new jersey.
New Balance is one of the world's fastest-growing sports brands. It has already taken a chunk out of Nike's trainers market worldwide with reported growth 19% in 2025 with revenue of over $9bn, according to figures in CNBC. It is now targeting the world of football and the brand that once adorned the shirts of then Premier League champions Liverpool is increasingly popular with some of the game's best players.
This hotline is essentially a giant, collective 'thank you' from fans everywhere. We want to remind them that they are seen, they are celebrated, and they have the full support of a country that is incredibly proud of them.
Swansea's owners have explained the influx of celebrity investors by saying it is part of their vision to raise the club's profile so they can generate more revenue, allowing them to invest more in the squad while staying within profit and sustainability rules.
Nike unveiled the Team USA collection on January 28, and it's been having a moment on social media as athletes don the gear at the games. Between January 30 and the February 6 opening ceremony in Milan, conversations on X mentioning ACG and the Olympics increased by 273%, data analytics firm PeakMetrics told Business Insider. Google searches for "Nike ACG" also spiked during the first week of February, then hit a new peak this week with the Olympic Games underway, according to Google Trends.
If you thought Sprite was just sitting on the sidelines, think again. The iconic beverage brand is making a major statement in the basketball world with a brand-new collection of limited-edition cans that celebrate both NBA teams and the rising stars of Unrivaled women's basketball. This isn't just another marketing play: it's a full-court press that honors local fandom, basketball culture, and the athletes pushing the game forward.
While Super Bowl LX pits the Pacific Northwest against New England as the Seahawks and the Patriots take the field, another region of the U.S. will get its 30 seconds of fame. Tecovas -the cowboy boot brand that surpassed $300 million in sales last year-is debuting its first-ever Super Bowl ad to try to expand its audience in its 10th year of business.
We've managed to increase this value by 40% in recent years in terms of visibility returned to partners. But the most interesting aspect is that at the Creator Lab everything becomes an IP, designed from the outset to be associated with a brand.
Yet rights holders are also meant to protect the value of their products-a value that's currently being chipped away by an endless stream of clips, highlights and post-game interviews. All this churn comes at the expense of creativity, social media talent - and, fundamentally, consumer engagement. The result is the enshittification of sports marketing. Let me explain. So much for creativity
In this playoff season, I try to shut my eyes to products featured in commercial time-outs. You've seen them? The cryptic medicines to treat unspecified ailments? The pickup trucks and beer brands that signal ruggedness and romantic success. Or more tempting, the gooey-delectable double-cheese-pepperoni pizzas with yet more cheese stuffed in the crust. But one other caught my ear for novel English usage. Namely, the new infinitive "to fan."
After a three-year hiatus, Cheez-It has officially brought its mascot Prince Cheddward out of retirement in time for this year's Citrus Bowl. As sports marketing gets more crowded, Cheez-Ithopes its revived brand mascot will drum up enough fan nostalgia to drive more sales. "He's a fan-favorite asset who helps us stand out without needing to 'out-spend' or 'out-shout' anyone," said Cara Tragseiler, senior brand director for Cheez-It. It's increasingly necessary for brands to find new ways to break through the noise.
Shortly after Iowa State's win in the 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl, Cyclones receiver Jaylin Noel, in a celebratory mood, went to grab the game's trophy to lug it home. But this trophy is different from any other and, as such, required Josh Price, an engineer who helped build the thing, to deliver some safety instructions. Noel wasn't interested. "He was like, 'It's a freakin' toaster, man,' and ran out of the room," Price said.
The United States aims to make the finals of the 2026 World Cup, which it is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, the biggest sporting spectacle on the planet. The draw to determine the 12 groups for the 48 national teamsthe largest number of participants in historywas worthy of Hollywood. Nessun Dorma, the famous aria from the opera Turandot, performed by Andrea Bocelli, opened a gala that also featured performances by Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger, and Lauryn Hill, one of the greatest rappers of all time.
The sports world has come full circle. After years of brands drifting too far from performance and too into 'wellness,' brands are rediscovering the power of professional athletes while also embracing a broader truth: sport is about winning and it's about how it makes us feel. The industry's evolution toward 'sport for all' has surfaced the profound connection between movement, euphoria, and mental wellbeing. Today, the formula is clear: high performance plus euphoria equals true inspiration.
For marketers adrift in a sea of media fragmentation, sports have remained a dependable - if pricey - anchor, representing one of the few remaining pillars of monoculture. Look no further than the Super Bowl, which continues to draw record ratings and diverse audiences on linear TV despite the acceleration of cord-cutting. That said, sports are as dynamic and fast-changing as other content types, and deep-pocketed companies like Unilever are adjusting their marketing strategies to recognize growing digital- and social-first consumption habits.
The Enhanced Games, a new sporting competition explicitly designed to allow performance-enhancing drugs, looks like a publicity stunt for the techno-macho era: Olympic athletes on steroids competing for million-dollar bounties in Las Vegas. But co-founder Aron D'Souza has a 90% gross margin telehealth business in mind, and a pitch to governments struggling with aging populations. Launching in May 2026 with Peter Thiel's backing, the Games promise $1 million bounties for breaking world records.
After decades of steadiness atop the world of American beer, the last few years have seen a sudden shakeup, with a third beer in three years becoming the No. 1 best seller. For 20 years up until 2023, Bud Light was the undisputed champion of beer in the United States, topping the sales over and over. Then, in 2023, following the rise of top Mexican beer brands, Modelo took the No. 1 spot in a massive unseating.
the researchers found that the more a participant engaged with an NFL game they were watching on TV, the more likely they were to remember advertisements being shown to them on a mobile device. They also identified a few factors that made an advertisement more likely to stick with a distracted consumer, such as when the advertisement is shown, the similarity between the advertisement and the consumer's environment, and even the physical distance between the advertisement and the distraction, the NFL game in this case.
At last year's tournament, over 550,000 Honey Deuces were guzzled by thirsty tennis aficionados, according to the New York Times. The cups are even considered collectible, and many fans at the tournament can be seen walking around with a stack practically as tall as 6'10" tennis pro John Isner. Arguably the most profitable cocktail in sports, the Times named it the early winner of the annual, star-studded tennis tournament.
Cheering at the stadiums and buying replica jerseys shifted to new ways to consume sports. Live matches on the Sportsbet betting platform, social media, fantasy leagues, highlights, and apps are capturing the attention of today's fans. Teams and brands understand that to keep fans engaged, they need to meet them wherever they are. This triggered an entirely new approach based on data about fans' behaviours, which proved to be just as valuable as the sports themselves.
Over the past several years, I've had the privilege of leading Suburban Propane's sports marketing initiatives, including our ongoing multiyear partnership with NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports. These collaborations have allowed us to connect with millions of fans through meaningful brand experiences, on-site activations and integrated community outreach. From powering campgrounds at race weekends to creating fan engagement zones, I've seen how the right sports partnership can amplify brand visibility, foster loyalty and strengthen relationships with local communities.
A Thursday morning subway ride in New York City, in the wake of the morning rush hour, is usually quiet and free of crowded platforms and trains. But load onto a train mascots from local sports teams, a drumline and a mob of reporters and curious onlookers, and you create a scene louder than rush hour. That's how ESPN unveiled its new direct-to-consumer and enhanced app on Thursday.
Good Karma Brands has entered into a partnership with the New England Sports Network and SportsNet Pittsburgh to manage digital advertising sales focusing on live game broadcasts.
Nonprofit hospital systems across the country are spending millions to plaster their names on sports stadiums and arenas, highlighting a significant investment in sports sponsorship despite economic uncertainties.
