Podcast Summary – Style-ish

Episode: This is why brands love sports stars
Date: January 29, 2026
Hosts: Madison Sullivan Thorpe and Rhiannon Joyce
Produced by: Shameless Media

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the evolving—and intensifying—relationship between sports stars and brands, especially within fashion and lifestyle. Madison and Rhiannon unpack why athletes have become the new influencers, the commercial reasoning and cultural shifts fueling these partnerships, and how this plays out at major events like the Australian Open. They also discuss how the rise of athletes as personalities is transforming marketing, sponsorship, and the very nature of brand collaborations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Week in Fashion: Sydney Sweeney’s Siren Launch

• [02:15–05:36]
  • Sydney Sweeney announced her lingerie brand, Siren, backed by major investors like Jeff Bezos and Michael Dell.
  • The brand launch involved a high-profile PR stunt—Sweeney climbing the Hollywood sign—which received widespread backlash due to poor timing amid current U.S. political tensions.
  • The hosts critique the launch’s timing and discuss how divisive celebrity perception can affect brand sentiment.
  • Quote:

    “From a branding perspective, this makes sense. What did I make of it all? Oh, God. Even if my brand was ready to go, I just don’t know that this is the month.”
    — Madison [04:23]

  • Takeaway: Even a well-positioned celebrity brand can stumble in tough or tone-deaf launches.

2. Why Brands Love Sports (and Sports Stars)

• [06:00–12:38]
  • The rise of sports stars as the new “epitome of influence”: Athletes have transcended beyond just sports and are now on fashion magazine covers with major brand deals outside the sporting industry (e.g., Gucci's presence at the Australian Open).
  • Historical context: Athlete endorsements and branding tie-ins date back to the 19th century. The Wheaties box and its iconic athlete features were highlighted as early forms of sports-brand crossovers.
  • Recent examples: Mary Fowler in the Weet-Bix campaign, modern nostalgia, and leveraging athletes as multi-generational icons.
  • Quote:

    “Sports stars have become the new influencers, the epitome of influence...not even influencers. They’re on the cover of fashion magazines. They have partnerships with—not just sporting brands—it feels like that’s where it started, and now it’s totally eclipsed.”
    — Madison [06:23]

3. The Cultural Pull and Community of Sport

• [10:30–15:02]
  • Sport as a universal language: Its ability to cut across cultures and generations, creating community and nostalgia, is unmatched by movies, music, or influencers.
  • Brands value this community aspect—sponsoring sports means tapping into authentic, fiercely loyal communities.
  • Academic input:
    Quoting Dr. Harriet Richards (RMIT Fashion), who emphasizes the allure of “remarkable” athlete bodies as well as the shift of athletes into epicenters of fame and influence.
  • Quote:

    “People speak the language of sport.”
    — Rhiannon [11:17]

4. The Brands x Sports Activation Ecosystem: The Australian Open Example

• [16:15–20:43]
  • The AO (Australian Open) is a prime case: Deep brand integration spans hospitality, fashion, beauty—activations feel immersive rather than merely advertorial.
  • The event also showcases local businesses alongside global brands, adding both community and aspirational layers.
  • Sponsorships at major sporting events now involve exclusivity, high-value deals, and clever “adjacent” marketing from non-major sponsors via spatial proximity (billboards etc.).
  • Quote:

    “Just by way of attending, you feel like you’re part of these special moments. You can buy limited edition merch, you can have that interaction...it creates a great experience for this customer that’s there to interact with sport, but by extension having these amazing branded moments.”
    — Madison [17:09]

5. Fashion x Sport: Personality, Branding & Power Shifts

• [22:09–33:21]
  • Luxury’s new favorites: Sports personalities, more than actors or pop stars, are the hottest brand assets. Athletes get repeated spotlight via events like the NBA/WNBA “tunnel walk,” which luxury and independent brands use for instant exposure.
  • The shift from “pay-to-pose” to “partnership”: Athletes now often request creative input and equity, e.g., Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan deal, Roger Federer’s investment in On Running, and Naomi Osaka’s designer collaborations.
  • Athlete “types": Brands can choose between “squeaky clean” icons (e.g., Roger Federer for Uniqlo/On) or “bad boys” for edginess, matching brand identities accordingly.
  • Quote:

    “The athlete has so much power...There’s no more pay to pose, no more brand dictating. I want you to do this in this way.”
    — Rhiannon [25:40]

  • Stats:
    Global sports sponsorship marketing is projected to grow from $63.1B (2021) to $109.1B (2030). The fleeting, “in-the-moment” nature of live sport makes it commercial catnip.

6. Creative & Authentic Collaborations: Athlete as Brand Muse

• [33:21–34:59]
  • A new era of athlete-driven branding: Athletes like Naomi Osaka co-create looks for events to express their identities, sometimes requesting specific designers as a contractual condition.
  • Brands that allow athletes’ personalities to shine reap authenticity dividends and outperform traditional influencer activations—sports stars regularly generate 5x more engagement than typical fashion influencers.
  • Quote:

    “When I was looking at the engagement on the average fashion influencer, as opposed to a footballer, the footballer’s engagement was 500% more.”
    — Esquire, cited by Madison [35:40]

7. The Future: Women, Beauty, and the Continued Rise

• [36:07–37:23]
  • The surge in women’s brands sponsoring female athletes (e.g., Charlotte Tilbury with F1 Academy, Sephora, Skims, and Glossier with WNBA) reflects sport’s growing appeal for progressive beauty/fashion brands eager to reach new audiences.
  • The hosts predict the male-dominated athlete sponsorship space will shift dramatically as women’s sport continues its rapid cultural ascent.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On sports as a universal language:

  “Regardless of where you live, what language you speak, people speak the language of sport.” — Rhiannon [11:17]

• On athlete influence:

  “Sporting stars are, without question, the biggest celebrity on the planet right now.” — Madison [13:22]

• On brand strategy:

  “The athlete has so much power. It used to be the brands; there’s no more pay to pose.” — Rhiannon [25:40]

• On campaign success:

  “When you look at how you measure success with a fashion influencer...the footballer’s engagement was 500% more.” — Esquire via Madison [35:40]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Sydney Sweeney & Siren launch: 02:15–05:36
• Historical context of sports branding: 07:21–08:22
• Community and multi-generational appeal: 10:30–12:38
• AO as brand case study: 16:15–20:43
• Fashion x Sport cross-pollination: 22:09–25:51
• Athletes as creative collaborators: 33:21–34:59
• Women’s sport and brand partnerships: 36:07–37:23

Tone & Style

The hosts balance insight, candid commentary, and industry expertise with an informal, humorous, and culturally plugged-in delivery. They sprinkle personal anecdotes alongside data and expert opinion, keeping things accessible and relatable.

Conclusion

This episode provides a sharp, modern breakdown of why brands are increasingly obsessed with sports stars: their global reach, deep communities, repeat visibility, and growing power to shape not just brand deals, but culture itself. The rapid rise of personality-driven athletes—especially women—and the seamless integration of sport, fashion, and lifestyle brands will continue to shift the influencer landscape for years to come.