Beyond the Game: Exploring the Intersection of Sports and Public Relations
As an aspiring sports journalist, I am consistently tracking player and team statistics, logistics, headlines and any other news in sports. However, public relations plays a crucial role in the sports world too. Think about the people behind the scenes — the ones shaping a team’s reputation. Some teams build their entire legacy on the strength of their networks and branding. Take the Dallas Cowboys, for example. They’re famously known as “America’s Team,” not just because of their on-field success but because of their enormous following. This illustrates how sports extend beyond just athletes and games; they create culture and identity.
As a fan myself, I embody the typical sports enthusiast. I have a favorite team, a pre-game ritual, a fantasy league, superstitions, and a loud voice when rooting for my team. It dawned on me that the biggest PR representatives for any sports team are not the business owners, marketing departmentsor social media teams — it’s the fans. Fans tirelessly promote their teams, explaining why their team will succeed and building connections with others simply by the number on the back of the jersey or color of the team gear they wear. These are the people who invest emotionally and financially in their teams, making sports a way of life. And what do they get paid for this dedication? Nothing. It’s purely their love for the game.
Whether in professional or collegiate sports, fanship is a way of life. Every knows someone who may be a little too into sports — dedications to their team via collections of rare or special edition merchandise, tattoos of their team’s logo, rooms in their homes swathed top to bottom in team colors. But fans, and superfine alike, do a tone of work promoting their teams, rooting for their favorite players and convincing more prospective fans to join the community.
Sports public relations can involve promoting athletes and coaches, scheduling team media appearances and finding organizations their teams can partner with — all brought to you, the fans, through media and other channels, while simultaneously building relationships with sports journalists. Whenever you see may seem like a meager social media post announcing a donation the team has made, interview quotes from head coaches or leading athletes, or even media day shots — remember this is all the work that a sports organization’s PR team is doing on the daily, building up for months.
There are many examples of successful public relations in sports and current headlines that could be used as illustrations. A recent example is LeBron James, and his son, LeBron “Ronny” James Jr., playing for the same team — the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. Public relations professionals for the Lakers and the NBA are thrilled and capitalizing on this historic moment. The number of articles, press releases and interviews they can generate from this story is endless, significantly enhancing both the James legacy and the organization’s reputation.
Working in sports public relations is all about capitalizing on these moments. Whether making franchise history, having a once-in-a-lifetime team that just works fantastic, winning a championship or navigating a crisis, sports public relations is all about being adaptable and being able to think on your feet, pivot stories and work fast. The next time you see what may be a simple post, a televised interview or read sports news, just remember that that is the work of an entire PR team managing their franchise’s media.
Anthony Hudson is an aspiring sports journalist pursuing a degree in communication with minors in business and in fine arts at Indiana University Northwest, who is set to graduate in spring 2025. He manages the podcast “It’s My Turn,” has interned with Sports Broadcasting Solutions, and works as a journalist for GreatNews.Life. He also serves as a social media specialist for the Office of Admissions at his university, a member of PRoud Council for PRSSA National, and part of the National Honors Society.
