Return to the Gridiron, Obscure Sports, College Athlete Deals: Trends in Sports News

A look at the sports news from PR Newswire in July and August that you might have missed.

By Brock Haroldson | Published Sept. 5, 2023

The last two months were busy for sports news on the wire. More than 900 sports releases went out via the PR Newswire network in July and August.

One significant sports world event that generated significant interest in its related press releases was the arrival of global superstar Lionel Messi to the U.S. as a member of the soccer club Inter Miami CF. In case you missed it, here are a few of the headlines:

• City of Fort Lauderdale Welcomes Lionel Messi to his New Home  
• adidas Turns Miami Pink to Celebrate Messi's Major League Soccer Debut with Inter Miami CF

During July and August, these were some of the other highly read/clicked-on releases.

• G-SHOCK Introduces Trio Of New Mudman Timepieces
• 2023 WSOP Main Event Final Table Set; $12,100,000 World Champion To Be Crowned Live On PokerGO® July 16-17
• Welcome to The Convenience Tour: 7-Eleven Releases Golf-Themed Merch on 7Collection™
• New York Times' Best Folding Bikes: DAHON's Mariner D8 Tops the List
• Get Ready for Greatness: Frito-Lay Unites Current Soccer Stars and Past Icons in New FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ Marketing Campaign

Sports News Trends for July-August 2023

Let’s now take a closer look at a few of the overall trends we noticed among sports press releases in July and August, with a few examples of each.

Football Returns

As college football and the NFL both geared up for their seasons, (American) football news rushed over the wire.

The most popular sport in the U.S. draws millions of passionate fans who come for the drama of the unknown and renewed hope for their team (despite the memes saying that the season is scripted!).  Those loyal fans also bring big bucks with them, so companies partnering with football teams and events can mean more eyeballs on their products.

More than 400 news releases mentioning “football” and/or “NFL” were sent via PR Newswire in July and August. Here are just a few of them:  

• Labatt Taps into Buffalo Bills' Glory Days Nostalgia with NEW Throwback Tea featuring the Iconic Red Helmet
• DUDE Wipes Cleans Up Cleveland Brown Helmets for First Time in 70 Years
• Princess Cruises, Los Angeles' Hometown Cruise Line, Named Official Cruise Vacation Partner of Los Angeles Rams
• Hellmann's Scores Major Touchdown - Signing Quarterback Will Levis To A New Lifetime Supply Of Mayonnaise Contract
• New Era announces 2023 NFL sideline caps and new apparel collection
• PepsiCo's Frito-Lay and Beverages Brands Team Up with NFL Icons and Legends to Celebrate Kickoff with "Unretirement" Campaign

Unusual/Nontraditional Sports

While they may not have as large of a fan base as say the NFL, NBA, or international soccer, lesser-known sports combine to make big business — and our second news trend of the post.

Humans love sports and will turn just about anything into a competition. From the rise in popularity of pickleball (now likely considered main stream) to pillow fighting airing on ESPN, it seems that sports are newsworthy no matter the discipline.   

Here are a few releases you might have missed over the summer:

• Brazil and Hungary Dominated 5th Los Angeles Teqball Tournament
• The Pickleball Slam Returns With An ESPN Primetime Showcase On Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024
• The Drone Racing League and U.S. Air Force Elevate STEM Careers Through Expanded Partnership
• Major League Table Tennis To Debut On ESPN2 Ocho
• Onewheel Race For The Rail To Re-Air Nationally On ESPN 2

NIL Deals

Since a 2021 Supreme Court decision allowed college athletes to profit from their own name, image, and likeness (NIL), many such athletes have benefited from the new rules.

Partnerships between college athletes and corporations, and companies making their business in supporting these partnerships, make for press release-worthy news.

• ZOA Energy Unveils "The Rock's Warriors" - New Annual NIL Program Featuring Athletes Selected by Founder Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
• NextName Launches Innovative NIL Program Empowering College Athletes to Monetize their Talents
• Ready For Kickoff: United Adds 127 Nonstop Flights for 2023 College Football Season
• Wolverine Boots Inks NIL Deal with University of Michigan Football Players
• Peloton and the University of Michigan Announce Partnership Reaching Students, Athletes and Alumni
• ZIPS Car Wash is now a Proud Sponsor of Texas Athletics through its Multi-Year Sponsorship Agreement with LEARFIELD

Looking Ahead

The new football season will of course mean lots more news from the gridiron. Several NASCAR and Formula 1 races in September and October should see continued motorsports news crossing the wire. Also, in international golf, the Ryder Cup (Sept. 29 to Oct. 1) will surely generate interest in both the USA and Europe.   

Stay tuned for our next sports news trends recap and follow the weekly recaps on prnewswire.com.

About the Author

Brock is a senior editor and has been with PR Newswire since 2012. When he’s not helping clients with their press releases, he enjoys leading music at his church, traveling, camping, hiking, skiing, following the Denver Broncos, baking sourdough bread, and spending time with his wife and two children at their home in New Mexico.