The University of Southern Mississippi tied up a long-term deal with adidas to be the official athletic footwear, apparel and accessory brand of the Golden Eagles through the 2024-2025 season. “Our Department Leadership Team was focused and deliberate in our assessment and evaluation of potential vendors. We interviewed an array of companies to find the best fit for the University of Southern Mississippi. In the end, we found adidas to be the best partner for our Department. Our comprehensive agreement will provide the highest quality look and feel – for the highest levels of athletic competition. We are excited to make adidas products available to our Student-Athletes and have their iconic brand across our Department,” said Jon Gilbert, Director of Athletics, University of Southern Mississippi.
The September Turnkey Sports Poll asked more than 2000 senior-level sports executives about the hottest property for sponsors. The results saw the NBA land on top with 35% of respondents identifying the league, that was followed by the NFL at 28%, MLS at 11%, MLB at 10%, NASCAR at 6%, NHL at 4% and the PGA Tour at 1%, with 5% not answering the question.
The Players’ Tribune announced today the return of First Step, presented by American Family Insurance. The six-episode video series will be hosted by Jerry Stackhouse, and follow him as he travels across the country to meet athletes focused on “important issues facing communities today — from education and healthcare, to mental health and gender equality.” In each episode, Stackhouse and an athlete will embed in a community to learn about the issue that it’s facing, and to meet the people who are most affected by it with athletes set to include Charles Tillman (NFL/retired), Becky Hammon (NBA/assistant coach, San Antonio Spurs), Brandon Marshall (NFL/New York Giants), Maya Moore (WNBA/Minnesota Lynx), Brandon Ingram (NBA/Los Angeles Lakers), and Caleb Swanigan (NBA/Portland Trail Blazers).
Media R3alm, a newly-formed company delivering premium digital streaming experiences, is prepping to launch OTT platforms dedicated to the East Coast Athletic Conference and outdoor enthusiasts in the ECAC Network and WILD TV. “We’ve brought together an all-star team of executives and dynamic content partners to bring fans a premium streaming and social experience in several verticals that haven’t seen this kind of platform before,” said Jim Bates, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Media R3ealm. “There are passionate fans seeking this type of content and we believe this is the most efficient delivery mechanism.”
Sports Crate launched NBA Sports Crate, the Officially Licensed Subscription Box of the NBA. The bi-monthly subscription line will feature exclusive team-focused products, merchandise and experiences to fans with 13 teams on-board initially, including the Celtics, Bulls, Cavaliers, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Lakers, Heat, Timberwolves, Knicks, Thunder, 76ers and Spurs.
Secret Golf announced that Chris Stroud, who won his first professional event on the PGA Tour at the 2017 Barracuda Championship, will soon have his own Player Channel on their platform, providing his insight into the game and allowing fans to have a direct connection. He becomes the 18th Tour professional to join Secret Golf.
ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 podcasts will return for a second season this month with five all-new audio documentaries. The first episode will debut on Nov. 14, with the other four premiering every Tuesday through December 12.
Another Overwatch League team locked in its branding materials ahead of the first season of play. Parent org OpTic Gaming formally debuted the Houston Outlaws as the name of its franchise, with the name referring to the region’s “hardy, self-reliant cowboy culture, where people live by their own rules” and featuring a logo sporting the star, longhorn skull and twin revolvers. Meanwhile, the green in the team’s colors reflects the signature colors of the Green Wall made famous by Optic Gaming.
Game 7 of the Astros/Dodgers on FOX at 8p? (Too early to tell at press time).
