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Athlete endorsements are an increasingly crucial element of sports marketing, tapping into the personal connections and influence that athletes have with their fans. Unlike sponsorship, where brands align broadly with a sporting entity, athlete endorsements leverage the trust and credibility that individuals elicit from their followers to directly recommend products or services, shifting consumer buying habits and influencing public perception.

Choosing the right athletes to endorse brands, ensuring authenticity, and measuring impact are key to maximizing the potential of athlete endorsements. For example, in the case of Nike and tennis star Serena Williams, the campaign “Dream Crazier” positioned her as an empowering role model for women, while also leveraging her resilience to drive engagement and foster brand loyalty. In addition to sales analysis, tracking audience sentiment through surveys and discussion forums can provide qualitative data that complements quantitative metrics.

Beyond ad placement, athlete endorsements can also be utilized in the form of collaborative content. This allows athletes to convey their own authentic experiences with the product, fostering greater authenticity. This was the approach taken by Hannah Kathleen Hawkshaw in her collaboration with Lierac Ireland & UK, where she created user-generated content (UGC) to share her own experience using the brand’s lift products.

Athlete endorsements are a powerful and unique marketing strategy that can be used in conjunction with other tactics such as event management, sponsorship strategies, NIL licensing, and more. By partnering with the right athletes, leveraging influencer marketing, and measuring impact, brands can build stronger relationships with their audiences, while generating a positive impact on their bottom line.

World Athletics Championship is the world’s premier track and field competition for senior athletes organised by the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations). The 2025 edition in Tokyo, Japan marked the milestone 20th World Championships since the first World championships were held separately from the Olympic Games in 1983. It saw a new global medal champion in Cordell Tinch, who won the 110m hurdles; Nicola Olyslagers crowned her second outdoor world high jump title; and Cole Hocker returned to form to win 5000m gold.

It was a dramatic final day at the championships in Tokyo with one world record and seven championship records broken or equalled. Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers won her second world outdoor high jump title with a clearance of 2.00m, while Poland’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Serbia’s Angelina Topic were tied on countback for silver. The men’s 3000m steeplechase also produced an exciting finish with Geordie Beamish (New Zealand) running down Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco to win the gold medal in a new world-leading time, with Amanal Petros of Tanzania in third place.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden became only the second female sprinter to complete a sprint treble at World Athletics, adding the 200m and 4x100m relay titles to her earlier 100m victory. The South Carolina native is bidding to add to her haul at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and she will face a challenge from fellow United States sprinter Noah Lyles. But Jefferson-Wooden says she’s used to big goals, having grown up in Georgetown and attended a small Division 1 college program in her early years.

Formula 1 is the world’s most prestigious open-wheel single-seat car racing competition. It’s a sport that requires skill, endurance and strategy. It’s also a sport that requires speed – drivers race around the world, at circuits as historic as Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, travelling at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. And at the end of a season, only the top three drivers and teams can take home the coveted trophy.

The first driver to cross the finish line at each Grand Prix receives 25 points, with the remaining runners earning points on a sliding scale. Sometimes a shorter sprint race – known as a ‘sprint’ – takes place before the main event and can count towards the final standings. The team that has the most points at the end of the season wins the constructors’ championship.

Ferrari have competed in F1 since the very first season in 1950 and are still competing today with a driver line-up of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, while McLaren and Haas have made significant gains in recent years. Those newcomers join established giants like Mercedes, who have won 14 championships and are still competing with Ferrari in the battle to win the most titles.

Multi-champions include Juan Manuel Fangio, who won five titles in the 1950s; Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, who both collected four championships in the 1980s; and Sebastian Vettel, who took a remarkable seven consecutive championships from 2010 to 2013. Viewers can follow the latest developments and keep up with the action in our F1 standings section, which features graphs that show season progression, as well as tables that list both points and positions.

The Masters leaderboard is a mesmerizing sight to behold. Rory McIlroy, after a long career of near-misses and heartbreaks, has now made it into the play-off with Justin Rose, and is one shot off the lead. He has a chance to win his first green jacket, and the world is watching.

Bryson DeChambeau was the only player to card two rounds in the 60s through Friday, and he improved on that with a second-round 68. The American will tee off in the final grouping on Saturday with Rose, and he’s looking to get to within striking distance of winning his first Masters.

Rose stumbled a little in Round 3 after an impressive seven-under 65, but he wasn’t able to make up much ground with a three-over 75. He made a few mistakes on the greens, including missing a short putt at hole 16, and he’ll have to be better over the weekend if he wants to win his third Masters title.

McIlroy moved into the top-two with a round of six-under 66. He ripped a drive over the corner of the par-four ninth and played a beautiful wedge from 87 yards into the back bank to set himself up for a birdie. He had a few bogeys mixed in as well, but his three-shot improvement has him tied with Corey Conners for the lead. It was the best second-round score for McIlroy at Augusta, and he’ll look to build on that performance in the final two days.

As we see with many high profile athletes, retirement news often brings a lot of speculation about what the athlete is going to do next. This is a valid question, as retiring from the sport comes with many psychological and physical strains. It’s important that not only athletes, but also parents, partners, and coaches, are aware of these strains to support them throughout the process.

The largest shift for retired athletes is finding their identity outside of the sport. This can be harder for elite and professional athletes who have spent their entire life in the sport circuit. It is possible that this transition can be a bit easier for amateur long-time players because they may have more connections to their community.

In addition to finding a new sense of self, retired athletes are often forced to adapt to a different lifestyle. They have to learn how to stay fit without the help of training partners and the structured routine of competitions and practices. It is important for athletes to understand that this can be a difficult transition because it changes their normal daily activity and how they feel about themselves.

After retiring, it is important for former athletes to make wise financial decisions. Athletes can start to plan ahead and set money aside by investing their earnings in assets that produce income, such as real estate or business ventures. They should also consider obtaining term life and permanent total disability insurance to protect their investment. RBC professionals recommend that they also create a trust for tax purposes and to establish peace of mind.

Whether they helped bring down Jose Mourinho, led a march against their club owner or pushed back against plans to commercialize their sport, fans have a long history of using their passion for football as a tool for change. These stories remind us that fan protest isn’t a passing fad and can be a powerful force for social change.

Disgruntled West Ham supporters turned out in their thousands to protest the way the club is run ahead of a Premier League match against Crystal Palace. They marched from Stratford train station to London Stadium and held messages calling for owners David Sullivan and Karren Brady to resign. The protest was organised by fellow fans group Hammers United and ended at the directors’ entrance to the ground.

During the Civil Rights Movement, Black fans turned their passion for sports into a potent nonviolent weapon, marching and boycotting games to protest segregated seating policies. They plastered their communities with banners and were supported by Black newspapers that kept fans up to date on boycott information. Eventually, these protests helped change the makeup of professional sports teams and forced cities to confront their racism. Those lessons still resonate today. By focusing on the personality, hobbies and family of a person who is part of a news event, it helps readers connect with them and can help promote positive attitudes toward that person and the cause they support.

The US Open schedule has returned to a 15-day format, allowing more matches and giving players an extra day of rest between rounds. It starts Monday and culminates Sept. 6 and 7 with men’s and women’s finals at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The tournament is the fourth and last Grand Slam of the year, following the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon.

Defending champion Jannik Sinner opens his title defense against Poland’s Magdalena Frech, and the world No. 1 will hope to continue his momentum against an opponent he beat in straight sets in their previous meeting in 2024. Home hopes Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, and rising talent Alex Michelsen, Learner Tien, and Brandon Nakashima also highlight a deep American contingent at Flushing Meadows.

Aryna Sabalenka, runner-up in 2024, and Jessica Pegula will also be in action on the opening day of play. And, of course, there is no shortage of star power as Venus Williams returns to the singles draw via wildcard.

Novak Djokovic will be among those looking to advance at Arthur Ashe Stadium, and he will take on Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie in his first match of the tournament. Carlos Alcaraz, the silver medallist in the men’s singles at the 2024 Olympic Games, and the owner of one of the most talked about haircuts in tennis will be another player to watch as he looks to get to the quarterfinals at the hard court Grand Slam. Iga Swiatek will be a popular name to watch as well, with the second seed playing Emiliana Arango in the first round.

Social media is a powerful tool in sports, connecting athletes with fans and drawing new audiences. However, a strong social media strategy also requires responsible management and a healthy balance between engagement and harmful overuse.

Athletes can now share personal social media content to humanize themselves and draw in new audience members, which has a direct impact on ticket sales, merchandise purchases, and sponsorships. Additionally, social media can be used to engage with fans in real time, allowing for fan-to-fan discussion and debate.

Social media has transformed sports journalism, making it faster and more immersive. The infamous Super Bowl XLII fumble by the Seattle Seahawks and the LeBron James-to-the-Cavaliers decision both went viral, shaping perceptions of both teams. This rapid spread of information has made people expect fast updates during critical moments, leading to undeveloped analytical processes and a proliferation of rumors.

Many athletes create their own social media platforms to connect with their fans, sharing behind-the-scenes content and day-to-day activities. Seeing this side of the athlete allows the fans to feel more connected to their team and players, which in turn leads to stronger loyalty, greater fandom, and ultimately, more ticket sales, merchandise purchases, and sponsorships.

Athletes must also be aware of the negative aspects of social media, as online criticism and negativity can have a serious impact on their mental health and well-being. They are also vulnerable to cyberbullying, and their personal information can be shared without consent, causing a loss of trust between the public and the athlete. This guide will help athletes navigate these pitfalls and develop a positive digital presence that supports their career development and professional success.

In the world of sports, technology is evolving faster than ever before. It’s reshaping how fans engage, athletes perform, and how sports generate value. As the industry embraces new technologies and puts a higher emphasis on sustainability, new layers of loyalty are emerging.

Smart wearables, smart coaching apps and AI analytics tools are reshaping the way teams train and prepare. Wearables help athletes track metrics like heart rate and speed, while apps link player stats to training plans and team chat tools. This integrated approach allows coaches to make decisions faster and spot patterns more easily.

New virtual tools let fans connect with the game and with each other in ways that were never before possible. For example, the 2022 Australian Open used generative AI to automatically produce video highlights for different languages. This new level of fan engagement is also opening the door for new revenue streams. For example, an NFT tool that links to the scoreboard lets fans “own” a piece of live sports action by purchasing a plot on the NFT map each time a team scores.

Sports organizations are also embracing the power of technology to transform stadiums into year-round hubs that boost economic activity in the surrounding “mixed use” area. They are investing in 5G capabilities, augmented reality and seamless in-app services for food, tickets, and more. And they’re leveraging technology to connect with younger audiences in a way that makes them feel connected to the sport.

Whether it’s a dog saving a soccer goal, a mascot’s funny antics or an NFL player’s troll-tastic handshake, viral sports moments capture the world’s imagination and leave a lasting impression on fans. They help athletes and brands connect with new people, build communities of team loyalty and create enduring memories.

While some viral moments happen organically, a smart brand can engineer these micro-moments to spread quickly and capture attention and engagement. To understand why some content goes viral, we can look at it through the lens of Berger’s STEPPS model: Social Currency, Emotional Value, Practical Value and Narratives.

The Olympics are a prime time for viral sports moments to explode into our feeds and capture our attention. From “pommel horse guy” winning a bronze medal and a spot on Dancing With the Stars to Olympic shooter Ilona Maher rumbling over Aussies, it seems as though no one can escape the clutches of the inescapable “uh-oh” moment.

However, some of the best viral sports marketing campaigns have been ones that aren’t even intentional at all. Take Puma’s iconic Waka Waka campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, for example. By choosing an ambassador who represents the spirit of the event, and creating a simple video that evokes a powerful global movement, they were able to achieve a great level of engagement on their social channels.