Running the show

The GIST: On Saturday, the aforementioned Ohanian’s Athlos held Athlos NYC, its second annual track tournament in the iconic culture capital. The event welcomed several key wins that helped build the case for sustainable growth ahead of its 2026 expansion, from viewership increases to creative partner activations.

• We chatted with Athlos CMO Kayla Green yesterday about how and why brands are activating around the league in year two: After Toyota and Tiffany & Co. joined last year, the event had a total of 16 brand partners in 2025. Signed, sealed, delivered.

The viewership: This year’s NYC event drew 3.75M viewers across new broadcast partner ION, X, YouTube, and ESPN+, marking a 25% YoY viewership boost. Green said the event garnered over 19M social impressions as of yesterday morning, with that number continuing to climb.

The audience: Green told us Athlos focuses on three categories of people: The athlete, the core track fan, and the more casual fan that falls in love with track. The festival-like atmosphere Athlos cultivates is geared to attract the latter type of fan, something that has worked for similar niche sport competitions like the X Games.

• It’s working for Athlos, too. Like the US Open, this October NYC event is becoming a big celebrity draw, and it goes beyond musical headliners like Megan Thee Stallion and Ciara — Queen Latifah, Issa Rae, and women’s sports patron Flavor Flav were all spotted at the event.

The brand play: In addition to its two returning brands, Athlos brought in 14 new partners this year across beauty, wellness, and delivery services. While these companies wanted a presence in front of this dedicated track audience, Green emphasized partners opted for athlete-forward campaigns — they hoped to win over the stars and, in turn, their devoted fans.

• Green also said brands like Cash App wanted to go beyond logo slaps and activate in meaningful ways, so the payment platform delivered over $200K to event winners instantly. Plus, after offering athlete glam photo shoots in 2024, the Athlos team was thrilled to see Tower 28 step up as the official beauty sponsor and take care of this year’s glam shoot.

Zooming out: Athlos is doing all the right things to win over all three types of viewers, from putting athletes front and center while also converting new fans with gimmicks like its Times Square long jump event. Its marketing is working and so are its brand partnerships, which all go beyond a traditional logo presence.

• Green said all Athlos sponsors have reached out and effused about the success of their campaigns at this year’s event, which makes sense: The data tends to side with brands that roll out authentic, athlete-focused partnerships, especially in women’s sports. On your marks...

The GIST: Today, New Balance (NB) announced NIL deals for several women athletes, namely from developing spaces in basketball and soccer and emerging sports like softball. The sponsorships are a response to how high school and collegiate pipelines are building across all women’s sports — and so are the marketing opportunities.

• In August, we spoke with NB head of athlete ambassador integration Nicola Conley on how Gen Z athletes are doing it differently and how the marketing world is adapting: Creating athlete-forward campaigns may be giving NB an edge in the ultra-competitive athletic apparel space. They got now.

The athletes: The roster includes basketball standouts Sienna Betts and Haylen Ayers, as well as Liga MX Femenil phenoms (and sisters) Tatiana and Silvana Flores. Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens reps softball, and the remaining athletes represent track across the U.S. and UK.

The approach: Apparel companies are finding success when they get in early. We’ve seen this on the men’s side for years, but companies like Nike and Under Armour are now signing women athletes earlier too. NB is no stranger to this — the brand signed tennis sensation Coco Gauff at 14, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone after her freshman year, Gabby Thomas after her college career, and landed Cameron Brink despite her Nike ties.

• Conley says NB has a history of identifying and investing in young talent at an early age, and for good reason: Early signings build loyalty with athletes and keep them in the family. Gauff is the only active women’s tennis athlete with a signature shoe, not to mention the unconventional high-fashion collab she spearheaded with Miu Miu.

The marketing response: Conley told us that Gen Z women athletes are doing things differently and are “very keen to be themselves.” On brand with their generation, they are confident, and their campaigns are personality-driven. The generation desires authenticity, so when athletes deliver that, it all but guarantees positive brand glow from Gen Z consumers who want the same.

• Picking women athletes also comes with social media exposure: Tatiana has over 1M Instagram followers; Silvana has 137K. And as a top high school recruit now playing at UCLA, Betts is already in the spotlight with a Gorjana deal and her Unrivaled signing.

The takeaway: The sports apparel space is extremely competitive, which can be challenging for emerging brands looking to gain ground or established ones looking to conquer new turf. Basketball is saturated by every brand, while some carve out space in specific sports: Nike has been running track for years, and Adidas has global soccer dominance.

• What can NB do? By signing athletes early and offering them creative control, the brand appeals to Gen Z athletes and consumers who value personality and authenticity. Letting athletes drive campaigns is a win-win for everyone: Believing in them early on builds loyalty with them and allows NB to compete with bigger brands. Playing for keeps.

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