Sport Public Relations

Navigate the evolving world of sport public relations.

Now in its fourth edition, Sport Public Relations provides students, educators, and professionals with the foundational knowledge and modern strategies needed to navigate the evolving world of public relations (PR) in sport.

The textbook presents essential topics such as media relations, digital and social media engagement, crisis communication, community relations, and internal stakeholder management. It blends theoretical frameworks with practical applications, offering readers a well-rounded understanding of how PR functions within sport organizations. Each chapter is enriched with real-world case studies, updated statistics, and contemporary examples that reflect current industry practices and challenges.

Featuring an all-new full-color presentation, the fourth edition includes updated content:

• Sidebars addressing artificial intelligence (AI), ethical issues in PR, and the challenges of communicating in a high-speed digital world
• Focused discussion on name, image, and likeness (NIL) issues and athlete branding
• New social media usage statistics, information about new trends in short-form content, and a case study on Gymshark's influencer marketing strategy
• Reinforced crisis communication planning with updated examples and strategies for evaluating response effectiveness, complemented by a new student activity addressing a crisis communication scenario
• Information on digital engagement strategies beyond social media, with updated Internet usage data, discussions of cybersecurity, and an exploration of the impact of legal sports betting on website engagement
• A semester-long project in which students will complete a series of assignments that culminate in the creation of a sport PR campaign plan

With a wealth of updated content and a continued focus on real-world applications, this text will give students the skills needed to succeed in today's complex media and stakeholder environment. Emphasis on current technologies ensures readers are not only learning foundational PR principles but also gaining insight into how to apply them in modern, high-stakes scenarios. By addressing both external and internal communication strategies, the book prepares future professionals to build strong brands, manage crises, engage communities, and lead with purpose in a digitally driven and socially conscious industry.

Related online learning activities delivered through HKPropel include key term flash cards, a semester-long sport PR campaign project, and a crisis communication scenario activity. Pedagogical aids such as chapter objectives, key terms, sidebars, case studies, end-of-chapter summaries, recommended learning activities, and callouts directing students to the online activities are included throughout the text.

With Sport Public Relations, Fourth Edition, students will learn to think strategically about public relations in the sport context and develop consistent communication and stronger relationships between sport organizations and their key publics.

Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is included with all print books.