Connect with us
https://yoursportsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/call-to-1.png

Sports

How sport achieved global domination — and the luxury brands that followed in pursuit of gold

Published

on

How sport achieved global domination — and the luxury brands that followed in pursuit of gold


It’s Coca-Cola.Here’s a pub quiz question for you. Which brand is the longest-running sponsor of the Summer Olympic Games? It’s not a sporting company (as indeed none of the International Olympic Committee’s top-level partners are) and neither is it one whose products are particularly associated with a healthy lifestyle. Nor is it Omega, the watchmaker which has served as the official timekeeper for almost every Games since 1932.The drinks giant shipped 1,000 cases of its ‘delicious and refreshing’ drink, as its track-side signage described it, across the Atlantic to hydrate and energise the crowds of the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam and has been doing so ever since.It might not sound like such a remarkable idea a century later, but it pre-dated the commercial saturation that we now associate, even subconsciously, with sport. Two years earlier, William Wrigley, of chewing-gum fame, had named the Chicago Cubs’ stadium Wrigley Field, but it was a rare exception. Teams didn’t have lucrative sponsorship contracts and neither did individual athletes. One of the very first was Jesse Owens, who was given footwear and equipment by Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik — the precursor to Adidas and Puma — ahead of the 1936 Olympics when brand founder Adolf Dassler realised how likely he was to triumph on track.For sports advertising to be worthwhile, there had to be an audience to market to, and the commercial potential of sports skyrocketed in the age of television. When the post-war years gave birth to the leisure generation, particularly in the USA, it set the stage for sport’s rise to global domination.The first colour TV broadcast of a sporting fixture took place in 1951; the magazine Sports Illustrated launched in 1954; and, another wonderful piece of trivia, the first million-dollar endorsement contract was signed in 1964. The recipient wasn’t a baseball player, sprinter or footballer, but ten-pin bowler Don Carter, who was sponsored by ball manufacturer Ebonite. The late 1970s saw the creation of the first dedicated sports channels, turbocharging the cycle of visibility and profitability. Football fans may still distantly recall the paradigm shift introduced by the arrival of the Premier League and its satellite broadcast contracts, an influx of cash that changed the game but also the earning power of everyone in it. The £4million that Brylcreem reportedly paid a 22-year old David Beckham in 1997 might seem like small change to today’s stars, but then as now, Beckham paved the way. Back then it was bringing fashion and beauty into the locker room; now it’s commissioning and producing your own Netflix documentary.‘Victory travels in Louis Vuitton’: Louis Vuitton — a part of LVMH — was the title partner for the first F1 race of the 2025 season, in Melbourne, and made the trophy trunks(Image credit: Alamy)Now, in a world of always-on social media, infinite streaming bandwidth, boundary-blurring ‘scripted reality’ shows and meticulously curated ‘personal brands’, the world of sport — a form of entertainment whose narratives cannot be edited, whose outcomes are never pre-ordained, and are all the more compelling for it — is a multi-billion dollar prize for the world’s biggest and most powerful companies.Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.At the time of writing, the 2025 Formula 1 (F1) season is one race in, and we are yet to realise the full potential of LVMH’s $100m-a-year multi-brand partnership deal, but what is already clear is that it is the single biggest expression of an idea that has been coming to the boil over the last few years: sport is now a prime target for luxury brands.
Carmen Mundt at a Chaumet event

Carmen Montero Mundt at Chaumet’s Bee de Chaumet event in Paris

Rebecca Donaldson at a Tiffany event

Rebecca Donaldson, dressed in Dior, at a Tiffany & Co. event at Selfridge’s

The scale and ambition of the deal — even beyond its eye-watering (albeit unconfirmed) financial clout — is arresting. Positioned by many pundits initially as a simple act of replacing Rolex with TAG Heuer as official timekeeping brand (no mean feat given Rolex’s fondness for developing generational, institutional relationships — think of its familiar presence at Wimbledon or the Masters golf — it goes much further. Louis Vuitton (LV) will make trophy trunks (as it has for the last few years, in fact), a role it also carries out for other sports, including tennis, and Moët Hennessy will provide the necessary podium-spray, but that’s just the beginning. Eagle-eyed Instagrammers will have noticed an uptick in Tiffany and Dior products on the feeds of drivers’ partners such as Kelly Piquet, the better half of champion Max Verstappen, Carmen Montero Mundt (George Russell) and Rebecca Donaldson (Carlos Sainz). LVMH-owned Charlotte Tilbury became the official beauty partner of F1 Academy, the women-only race series, in 2024.The examples go on and on, and it’s not just about LVMH — although the French conglomerate was also notable for its all-consuming role at last year’s Olympic Games. Eager not to squander the opportunity of the most-watched show in all of sport taking place in its home city, it left no stone unturned. Berluti made outfits for the opening ceremony, and cosmetics chain Sephora opened pop-up stores along the Olympic torch relay route; the torch itself was memorably escorted along its final yards not by a notable French athlete, but by international multi-hyphenate and LV men’s creative director Pharrell Williams. In a rare blot to the flawless PR strategy, jeweller Chaumet designed the medals — which have since attracted controversy for tarnishing.Jannick Sinner carried a custom designed and headline-making Gucci duffle bag at Wimbledon 2023(Image credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)Every sport has its own mini-catwalk, be it the football tunnel or the brief walk onto a tennis court (where Gucci ambassador Jannik Sinner was able to smuggle a non-white Gucci holdall despite Wimbledon’s historically strict dress codes). And while it’s long been the norm that global sports enjoy a wealth of ‘partners’, from Rolex and Longines to Ralph Lauren, there is now a sense that any sporting property is ripe for luxury involvement, a feeling that is encapsulated best of all by the unexpected news that Chanel will sponsor the Oxford and Cambridge boat race.Making sense of it all is actually very simple, argues Silvia Bellezza, a professor of marketing at Columbia Business School. For her, luxury brands’ presence at the top of the sporting world has to be related back to the rise of ‘athleisure’ and the adoption of an active — sometimes even hyperactive — lifestyle as a status symbol in its own right.’Whereas in the past, society’s upper strata’s free time was characterised by idleness, today’s aspirational lifestyle — the so-called ‘harried leisure class’ — is marked by a packed schedule filled with productive and edifying activities,’ she says. ‘The modern elite are busy at work, and their leisure time is no longer sedentary but active, requiring physical or mental effort in pursuit of wellness, health, and personal development. In this context, “athleisure” apparel, timesaving services and multitasking products have become the ultimate status symbols of a dynamic elite that has no time to waste.’ Anyone who has been regaled by a watch brand CEO with tales of his latest ultramarathon would find it hard to disagree.Noting that we live in the same universe as the $925 Prada cycling shorts, or $390 polyester socks, Bellezza points out that the grande maisons of luxury have been embracing health and fitness for several years now. Perhaps one of the best — certainly one of the most absorbingly over-the-top — examples is the HermesFit pop-up gym, an orange-and-white fitness studio complete with monogrammed leather dumbbells and ‘scarf yoga’ sessions.’If luxury brands expand their product lines to include more sports-oriented items,’ Bellezza continues, ‘it follows that they may also seek to sponsor more sporting events to reinforce this association.’Gold trophy in a Tiffany blue boxThe 24-carat gold-plated Tiffany FIFA Club World Cup trophy features laser-engraved inscriptions in 13 languages and Braille (Image credit: Tiffany)The result — like Chanel’s presence in one of Britain’s oldest sporting fixtures — is brands popping up in places you might not expect them, or flexing their creative muscles in unforeseen ways. Cut to Tiffany creating the trophy for FIFA’s Club World Cup, for example, or Ferrari holding a full-blown fashion show on its factory floor in Maranello. In 2016, then-TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver introduced a swathe of new sports and cultural partnerships (including football, cycling and boxing links, as well as ambassadorships from the likes of Cara Delevingne and Chris Hemsworth) with the mantra ‘You must go wherever your customer is.’It’s a mantra that still applies to the current sporting gold rush. As the consultant and academic Fabio Ciquera puts it: ‘You can only have so many fashion weeks in one year, but with F1, you can meet up every two weeks, somewhere incredibly exotic and luxurious.’ For Ciquera, the power of sport is its ability to tap into ready-made communities, characterised for their tribal loyalty. It can also be the means by which a legacy brand can connect with entirely new demographics. ‘As opposed to the original community of a fashion luxury brand that is actually quite fickle, you know — “you’re only as good as your last collection” — you get to someone who actually understands you beyond your products and is interested in what you represent to what you are sponsoring. There will absolutely be clients who will discover Ferrari because of the fashion range. I’m thinking about someone who is in China who’s 25 and a millionaire and has discovered the car side of the brand because of a fashion show.’It will be music to the ears of Ferrari’s executives, not least given Lewis Hamilton’s role in transforming F1 into an entertainment spectacle — and the paddock into his own personal fashion shoot. While other drivers may hew to more traditional styles — think Carlos Sainz for Hackett — it is all part and parcel of the same phenomenon.

Professional sport has gone from a 90-minute-a-week activity to a 24:7 experience, merging technology, fandom, broadcast media and high fashion.For once, it may actually be true that it’s not the winning, but the taking part that counts.

Sports

Lopes break multiple records in opening meet

Published

on


RENO, Nev. – The first indoor track and field meet of the year was a success for Grand Canyon as multiple program records were broken.
 
“We had a fantastic season opening meet this week in Reno.” Lopes head coach Tom Flood said,
 
GCU senior Germain Lemaitre broke the schools 800-meter record with a mark of 1 minutes, 48.85 seconds. This time also set Lemaitre at second in the nation just behind Thomas Cowan at Boston College.
 
Germain continued his standout weekend winning the 600-meter, running it in 1:17.021.
 
The Lopes transfer standouts, junior Tatum Moku and junior Eva Lowder, also broke the school record in pole vault. The record was broken at 4.25 meters for both.
 
Flood was impressed by the level pole vault brought this weekend.

“To cap off a great first day, both Eva Lowder and Tatum Moku shattered our school record in the women’s pole vault and tied for second in the nation,” Flood said.

 

Lopes Junior Praise Jubinor was also the top finisher in men’s long jump at the 7.29-meter mark.

 

Moving onto the weekend, the Lopes continued to have top finishers.

 

“On Saturday, we picked up right where we left off on Friday with our men’s 60-meter hurdles, won by Francisco Marques with a time of 7.92,” Flood said. “Miguel Rosario had a fantastic season opener in the 200-meter (setting a mark of 20.81) which is the fourth fastest time in Mountain West Conference history and third in the NCAA.”

 

GCU junior Gavin Dimick finished first in pole vault with a mark of 5.1 meters.

 

Transfer junior Antoni Smith kept up the Saturday momentum finishing first in the high jump at 2.05 meters.

 

Flood also gave praise to sophomores Cassie Small and Nina Thevenin for the meet.

“I thought that both Cassie Small and Nina Thevenin both had great doubles in the 60 and 200 meters,” Flood said.

 

“We finished the weekend with a bang as Miguel Rosario won the 60-meter dash in 6.62 which ties him with the third fastest time in Mountain West history and currently third in the NCAA.”

 

The senior Rosario is looking to have his best year yet with high praise from Flood,

“It should be without saying that Miguel had a great weekend and to think we are just getting started,” Flood said.

 

The Lopes wrapped up the weekend with eight victories in their season opener as they begin their quest for a Mountain West championship in their inaugural season.

 

“We now will take a little break for the holidays, but we can’t wait to get started again and get even better when the season starts again in January,” Flood said.

 

The Lopes head to Flagstaff after the break on Jan. 9 to compete in the Friday Night Axe ‘Em Open hosted by Northern Arizona.

 



Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Gulf Coast hosts Senior Match for local high school volleyball all-stars

Published

on


PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – The Gulf Coast volleyball program hosted a senior match for high school players from across our region Sunday afternoon.

this basically like an all-star game, and an all-star lineup of players. Mosley, North Bay Haven, South Walton, Liberty, Chipley among other schools represented in Sunday’s match.

In total, 35 seniors were selected based on nominations from different head coaches. Gulf Coast head coach Scott Allen telling us this was the second year they’ve held the senior match, the first in 2023.

Coach also saying how great this event is for the players and parents of the seniors competing, to see them play one more time.

“Well we think it’s great to give the senior class in this area just one more chance to pull the jersey on and come out and play, play with some of their teammates and some of the other great players in the area. Get a chance for them and their families to see the facilities that we have. We are really proud of what Gulf Coast State has to offer, and it’s a good fundraising event for us.” Coach Allen said.

“We’ve seen it in some other areas, a senior all-star match, in some other areas and there wasn’t one here in this area. So I thought, well, let’s provide the service if there’s nothing there, and so it just worked out really well for us. The area supported it, supports it, really well. The players love coming, the coaches love being here too, and the families, it was pretty packed last time, we are still filing in behind me a little bit, so we’ll see if the rain and a Sunday has us damped down a little bit. But hopefully everyone will start filing in, they’re going to see some great volleyball and buy some hoodies and some popcorn at the concession stand, it’ll be a good day.” Coach Allen said.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WJHG on Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter).

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Email news@wjhg.com. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

Keep up with all the biggest headlines on the WJHG News app, and check out what’s happening outside using the WJHG Weather app.





Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Jaguars Women’s Track & Field Posts Multiple Top-10 Finishes to Launch Inaugural Indoor Campaign

Published

on


AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Augusta University women’s track and field team opened its inaugural indoor season on Saturday at the Visit Winston-Salem College Kick-Off, competing against a deep field of Division I and Division II programs at JDL Fast Track. The Jaguars produced a strong slate of early-season marks across sprints, middle distance, and distance events, highlighted by a top-three 5,000-meter finish from Madison Thomas and multiple top-10 performances.

Sprint Group Opens Season With Strong 200 and 400 Marks

Freshman Madison Mitchell paced Augusta in the 200 meters with a time of 26.15, placing 17th overall. Fellow freshman Taneiha Bowman followed in 26.72. Sophomore Josalyn Branch also opened her season in the event.

In the 400 meters, freshman Ava Adams led the group with a 1:01.25 to finish 13th. Sophomore Janiya England added a 1:03.98 in her season debut. Freshman Thanna Davis delivered Augusta’s fastest 400 of the day, placing 10th in the seeded section in 58.67.

Middle-Distance Athletes Deliver Solid Early Times

Freshman Brie Andrews opened her indoor campaign in the 800 meters, finishing 20th in 2:28.67.

Augusta’s mile group produced one of the most complete team showings of the meet, placing five runners inside the top 25. Freshman Josabeth Graciano led the Jaguars in 5:15.54 for seventh, followed by freshman Caleigh Munro in ninth at 5:19.12. Freshman Gabriella Burton placed 15th in 5:26.02, with juniors Grace Gyetko (5:32.02) and Cheyenne Ryan (5:38.46) rounding out the group.

Distance Squad Secures Five Top-10 Finishes in the 5,000 Meters

Junior Madison Thomas led Augusta with a third-place finish in the 5,000 meters, running 17:49.24. Sophomore Danielle Thayer placed seventh in 18:31.71, followed by sophomore Maria Biondolillo in eighth (19:05.37), freshman Amelia Ogden in ninth (19:14.81), and junior Swaye Mohler in tenth (19:27.44).

Sophomore Ansley Graddy and freshman Elkin Regina also opened their indoor seasons in the event.

In addition to this weekend’s performances, junior Madison Kennedy—reigning PBC Cross Country Runner of the Year—recorded the third-fastest 5K time in Outdoor Peach Belt Conference history this past fall.

Reed Leads Augusta in High Jump

Freshman Jamiya Reed cleared 1.44 meters (4-8.75) in the high jump to finish 14th in her collegiate debut. Freshman Paige Justice also competed in the event.

The team returns to Winston-Salem the following week for the ‘Twas the Meet Before Christmas on Friday, Dec. 12.

Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.augustajags.com and receive short updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics and on Twitter at @AugustaJags





Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Nebraska volleyball advances to Sweet 16 with sweep of Kansas State

Published

on


Dec. 7, 2025, 6:30 a.m. CT

Nebraska (32-0) entered the second round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday, taking on Kansas State (18-10). Though the Wildcats put up a fight, the Huskers swept the night (25-17, 25-21, 25-16) to advance to the Sweet 16.

Nebraska struggled at times against the Kansas State defense, the Wildcats posted 14 blocks and 32 digs. This helped KSU stay in each set against the Huskers, even taking the lead multiple times. But Nebraska found itself out in front by the time it reached the red zone, allowing it to get the sweep.

The Huskers finished with 43 kills off 99 attacks for a .253 hitting percentage and posted 48 digs and eight blocks to hold Kansas State to .118 and 27 kills on 102 attacks. Nebraska also delivered seven service aces in the win.





Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Devils Begin 2025-26 Season With Victory at SU Kickoff Open

Published

on



WINCHESTER, Va. – The Dickinson men’s indoor track and field team opened up their 2025-26 slate in emphatic fashion on Sunday afternoon by winning the Shendandoah University Holiday Kickoff Open inside the James Wilkins Jr. Athletics & Events Center.

Sprints

Franklyn Akabi-During picked right up where he left off last season by winning the 60m with a time of 6.86, while Darian Crim joined him on the podium in third at 7.01. Josh Gould and Dominick Rosini claimed 23rd (7.42) and 33rd (7.68). With hurdles added to the distance Barrett Chalmers and Aidan Coyne hit the line in fifth (9.61) and sixth (9.68). 

Akabi-During nabbed his second win of the day during the 200m thanks to a time of 22.07, followed right behind by Crim who took second at 22.69. Jack Shronk rounded out the Top-5 by crossing in 23.59. Owen Seveland claimed tenth (23.89) as Rosini, Coyne and Chalmers earned 18th (24.98), 24th (25.80) and 28th (26.17).

The trio of Shronk, Sveland and Benjamin Dench competed in the 400m securing eighth (52.67), ninth (53.10) and eleventh (55.07).

Distance

The 800m event was packed with Devils as the duo of Michael Dooley and James Masterson finished one (1:58.70) and two (1:58.92). Sean Harris (2:07.80), Matthew Gareau (2:08.93), Alexander Radishofski (2:09.49), Quinn Chewning (2:10.34), Jack Rickleman (2:11.37), Evan Feldman (2:14.86), Walker Crochet (2:16.09) and Dylan Elder (2:17.09) occupied spots seven through 14.

Two members of the Red and White were involved in the 3000m with Nathan Caldwell grabbing second (8:50.70), while Alexander Kane seized fourth (9:03.67).

Caldwell added another victory to the Devils ledger with a time of 15:09.29 in 5000m, followed by Kane at 15:26.76. Slots six to eleven were filled with Dickinson athletes thanks to Wiley Mulholland (16:38.98), Jacob Sokatch (16:40.39), Jad Jamaleddine (16:50.89), Matthew Colden (16:57.34) and Andrew Edwards (17:00.52). William Kane completed the group of Devils by hitting the line in 17:24.42 for 14th.

Dickinson filled the podium for the mile run as Avi Ghorai won the race in 4:47.45, followed by Crochet (4:50.52) and Griffin McConnville (4:51.54). The trio of Chewning (5th – 4:52.35), Feldman (7th – 4:58.49) and Jack Solovey (8th – 5:00.07) also competed in the event.

Relay

The Red and White put three different teams out for the 4x400m with the group of Akabi-During, Crim, Harris and Seveland taking second (3:29.02). The unit of Dooley, Gareau, Masterson and Shronk clocked in at 3:32.56 for fourth, while Chalmers, Coyne, Crochet and Radishofski earned sixth (3:47.17).

Field

Elder grabbed sixth in the high jump after clearing 1.48m.

Oliver Stroka posted another DC win during the weight throw by dropping down at 15.86m.

Three Devils tried the shot put with Daniel Echeverri grabbing fifth at 11.83m, followed by Stroka in eighth (10.79m) and Elder nabbing 16th (7.97m).

Up Next

Dickinson will next compete after the New Year holiday when they take part in the Moravian University Indoor Meet in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on Saturday, January 17th beginning at 10am.

 



Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Point Loma Nazarene wins volleyball regional; Mesa’s season ends with loss

Published

on


Third-seeded Point Loma Nazarene will play sixth-seeded Bentley at 10 a.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II women’s volleyball tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D.

PLNU advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for a second straight year Saturday night by defeating Fresno Pacific 3-1  in the Western Regionals championship hosted by the Sea Lions at Golden Gym.

Meanwhile, Mesa College was defeated 3-0 by Feather River College Sunday afternoon in the championship match of the California Community College Athletic Association women’s volleyball tournament in Folsom.

Top-seeded Feather River (36-1) won the state title for the third time in four years. Second-seeded Mesa College (31-2) had won 28 straight matches going into Sunday’s match. The Olympians won the state title in 2023 and lost in the semifinals in 2024.

Feather River swept by scores of 25-12, 25-19, 25-23. Mia Lundberg led Mesa with 10 kills and four digs. Charlotte Underwood had five kills and two digs while Bella Town (Carlsbad High) had five kills and two blocks. Ruby Ennis (Lakeside) had 17 assists and seven digs while Trina Nguyen (Mira Mesa High) had 11 digs.

Point Loma Nazarene (27-4) prevailed Saturday night by set scores of 25-17, 17-25, 25-16, 25-18. Fresno Pacific finished with a 27-2 record, with both losses coming to PLNU in Golden Gym.

Thursday’s match against Bentley (also 27-4) will also be a rematch. PLNU scored a four-set win over Bentley on Sept. 12 en route to winning the Colorado Premier Challenge Tournament in Denver.

Freshman middle blocker Hailey Clark paced PLNU against Fresno Pacific with 14 kills, while senior outside hitter Abigail Nua finished with 13 kills and a block, while sophomore outside hitter Saren Rogers (Victory Christian Academy) had 13 kills.

Junior setter Sophia Baugh had 50 assists and a service ace. Senior libero Macy Reynolds had 19 digs and freshman defensive specialist Hailey Wilson had 18 digs to 17 for freshman setter Jolyna Salas (Tri-City Christian).



Link

Continue Reading

Most Viewed Posts

Trending