Entertainment, Media & Sports · Week of Oct 26, 2026
Brands cash in on F1 race weekends: the week in entertainment
Motorsport sponsorship and activation led the week, alongside sports partnerships, a lottery launch, a running lab and an AI debate in publishing.
Motorsport supplied the clearest thread this week. Volcan de mi Tierra promoted its role as the Official Tequila of Formula 1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix, and Pacsun reported its biggest weekend yet at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin. Away from F1, Polaris and RZR Factory Racing signed off-road racer Kyle Chaney to a multi-year agreement.
Brands also tied themselves to other sports. Radar Tires became an Official Partner of Manny Pacquiao's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, and ASICS opened a running research lab with the University of Michigan. The rest of the week covered a Cash Pop lottery launch in Ontario from Brightstar Lottery, commentary from Artmarket.com on AI in publishing, and a city-tourism pitch from North Dakota.
VOLCAN DE MI TIERRA
Volcan de mi Tierra Brings Mexican Craftsmanship Home as the Official Tequila of Formula 1® at the Formula 1 Gran Premio De La Ciudad De Mexico 2026
Volcan de mi Tierra, which describes itself as a family co-owned luxury tequila brand, is the Official Tequila of Formula 1 at the Formula 1 Gran Premio De La Ciudad De Mexico 2026, with exclusive experiences at Gordon Ramsay at F1 La Terraza and the F1 Paddock Club. The release shows a Mexican brand using its home race for hospitality-led sponsorship activation.
Brightstar Lottery PLC
Brightstar Lottery's Cash Pop Game Launched in Canada with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
Brightstar Lottery PLC says Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has launched Brightstar's Cash Pop draw-based game. According to Brightstar, OLG is the first lottery jurisdiction in Canada to offer the game.
Pacsun
PACSUN TAKES A VICTORY LAP IN AUSTIN WITH ITS BIGGEST FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX WEEKEND YET
Pacsun says its fourth Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin was its biggest race weekend yet. The company reports that trackside sales have grown more than 177% since its first Austin pop-up in 2023, including a 19% rise in 2026.
Polaris Inc.
POLARIS SIGNS OFF-ROAD CHAMPION KYLE CHANEY TO MULTI-YEAR RACING AGREEMENT WITH RZR FACTORY RACING
Polaris and RZR Factory Racing announced a multi-year agreement with championship-winning off-road racer Kyle Chaney, who will compete in King of the Hammers and select U.S. off-road races. The signing adds a multi-discipline champion to the Polaris factory team.
Artmarket.com
Artprice by Artmarket: Defending Authors' Creative Freedom with AI
Artmarket.com's Artprice published commentary on the fall 2026 literary season, which it describes as marked by frequent AI positions from publishers and prize organizations, including rejection of AI-generated writing, tolerance of AI research help, and disclosure. The company frames its view as defending authors' creative freedom with AI.
ASICS
ASICS Opens Its First Industry-Academia R&D Lab for Running Innovation with the University of Michigan
ASICS and the University of Michigan opened the ASICS x Michigan Sport Innovation Center (AMSI) in Ann Arbor, which ASICS calls its first industry-academia R&D lab for running. According to the release, the center combines multidisciplinary research, athlete insight and innovation expertise for running product development.
Radar Tires
Radar Tires Joins Forces with the 8-Division Boxing World Champion Manny Pacquiao's Basketball League, the MPBL, to Drive Youth Forward Through Sport in the Philippines
Radar Tires has become an Official Partner of Manny Pacquiao's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) in the Philippines. The company says the deal supports Pacquiao's mission to empower young Filipinos through opportunity in sport.
North Dakota Tourism Division
North Dakota's Unexpectedly Urban Side: Discover the Food, Art and Energy of Its Cities
The North Dakota Tourism Division is promoting Fargo, Grand Forks and Bismarck-Mandan as city-getaway destinations. Its pitch centers on independent restaurants, contemporary art and signature events.
This roundup is written with AI assistance from the press releases listed above, using only what they state. The releases are the companies' own announcements, not Pop News Magazine reporting.