Sports News

HOUSTON – October 22, 2026 -- Houston Rockets fans can expect exclusive promotions, community programs and special events from tool brand Fanttik during the 2026-27 NBA season. The company is continuing a partnership with the team that began in 2025.

Fanttik plans fan promotions and events all season

Fanttik makes automotive tools, outdoor gear and home-improvement tools. Its stated aim for the Rockets collaboration is to show how its products simplify everyday tasks, from car maintenance and home improvement to outdoor adventures.

Founder and CEO Bo Du described the partnership as built on a "shared commitment to innovation, quality and community." He said Fanttik wants to help people take on everyday projects with confidence.

Katy, Texas – October 22, 2026 -- Fitness racers in Tampa, Dallas, Nashville, Atlanta and Houston will find Academy Sports + Outdoors at their HYROX events, as the retailer becomes an Official Partner of HYROX North America in a multiyear deal that begins in 2026.

Academy will activate in five National Tour cities

The retailer will engage athletes and local communities at the HYROX National Tour stops in those five cities. Academy says the activations are designed to complement its in-store fitness gear, footwear and supplements, and are aimed at everyone from first-time HYROX racers to seasoned competitors.

Houston gets a title sponsor in spring 2027

The partnership culminates in Academy's Title Sponsorship of HYROX Houston, which comes to the city in spring 2027. Before the races, Academy plans to host local events to build community around the competition.

Austin, Texas – October 19, 2026 -- Fans heading to the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix can now drink in the shade of a 17-foot-tall cowboy hat, complete with a fully operational bar underneath. Circuit of The Americas (COTA) and Austin-based Westernwear brand Tecovas unveiled the "World's Largest Cowboy Hat" at the track, and Guinness World Records officials certified it on-site on October 19, 2026.

The hat measures 43 feet wide and 47 feet long

The structure is a to-scale recreation of Tecovas' own Cattleman Cowboy Hat. It stands 17 feet tall, not counting the piers. Fiberglass and foam wrap around a steel frame, and the fiberglass is textured to match the real Cattleman hat. The paint is color matched to the hat's natural shade.

Quebec – October 19, 2026 -- Diego Poncelet Sanchez-Cuenca has ridden a downhill skateboard at 94.34 mph (151.83 km/h), making the 27-year-old from Spain and Switzerland the fastest downhill skateboarder in history. The run took place on Route du Port in Les Éboulements, Quebec, on the same slope where the previous Guinness World Record was set nine years ago.

Poncelet beat a 2017 mark of 91.17 mph

On the afternoon of Sept. 22, with a Guinness judge watching, the two-time World Champion passed the 2017 record of 91.17 mph (143.73 km/h). That mark belonged to his late friend Pete Connolly of England, who also rode on Seismic Skate Systems wheels. Red Bull filmed the run and published the video on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube on Oct. 15, 2026.

Many elite downhill skaters had considered 150 km/h out of reach. Guinness World Records adjudicator Andrew Glass called the run "one of the most impressive feats I have ever seen."

Indianapolis – October 19, 2026 -- Ten cooks now hold World Category Champion titles after four days of competition at the World Food Championships (WFC2026), and all of them advance to the Final Table in spring 2027, where one will be named World Food Champion.

More than 400 teams from more than 35 states and 14 countries competed October 15-18 for a share of a prize purse of more than $400,000. The event ran at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center. Alongside the competition, fans could watch live demonstrations, join food tastings and try new interactive experiences.

Guangzhou – October 19, 2026 -- Outdoor brand KAILAS is now title sponsor of the Freeride World Tour (FWT) China Series for 2026/27, with four FWT Qualifier events planned at Jikepulin Ski Resort in Hemu, Altay, Xinjiang.

Two competition windows are set for Xinjiang

The qualifiers run December 9–15, 2026, and February 26–March 3, 2027. The series aims to connect Chinese riders with the international freeride competition pathway. Freeride skiing takes place on natural, ungroomed terrain, where athletes assess snow conditions and choose their own lines.

KAILAS founder Zhong Sir announced the sponsorship on October 14 at BEYOND THE GATE | KAILAS SNOW SEASON OPENING NIGHT in Guangzhou. The deal upgrades the brand's partnership with the series from the previous season.

United States – October 19, 2026 -- Fans can follow No. 2 Notre Dame against No. 8 BYU live on SiriusXM at 12pm ET on Saturday, October 16, in the car or on the SiriusXM app.

Both teams arrive undefeated

The Fighting Irish and the Cougars meet as unbeaten teams, and SiriusXM carries every snap of the game.

Each team has its own broadcast channel

Listeners choose which team's call to follow. The Notre Dame broadcast is on Ch. 82 in the car and in the app. The BYU broadcast is on Ch. 166 in the car and Ch. 992 in the app.

SiriusXM covers more of the 2026 season

Throughout the 2026 college football season, SiriusXM offers live play-by-play of games featuring teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, plus other conferences. Notre Dame, Army, Navy and HBCU football are also on the schedule. The latest game listings are on SiriusXM's college football page.

Knoxville – October 19, 2026 -- No. 6 Alabama and No. 14 Tennessee meet Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 3:30pm ET, and SiriusXM will carry the game live in cars and on its app.

Three broadcasts, one rivalry game

The Third Saturday in October rivalry returns to Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. Listeners can choose the Alabama, Tennessee, or national broadcast to follow the matchup.

Cleveland – October 19, 2026 -- Fans can hear the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays battle for the American League pennant on SiriusXM channels 205, 206 and 80, in the car or on the SiriusXM app. The winner of the best-of-seven 2026 American League Championship Series advances to the 2026 World Series.

Three channels carry every ALCS game

Guardians fans can tune to channel 205, while Rays fans can pick channel 206. Channel 80 carries the national broadcast. Every MLB postseason game is available live on SiriusXM.

Game 5 starts Sunday, October 18, at 5:08 p.m. ET

The series continues with Game 5 on Sunday afternoon, with the same three channels in use.

Game 6 follows Monday, October 19, at 8:08 p.m. ET

Monday night’s game carries the Guardians feed on 205, the Rays feed on 206 and the national call on 80.

Phoenix – October 19, 2026 -- NASCAR fans can hear every lap of the Freeway Insurance 500 live on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90), with the green flag dropping Sunday, October 18, at 2pm ET at Phoenix Raceway.

Listen on car radios and in the SiriusXM app

Coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series race runs on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90. Listeners can tune in on car radios or through the SiriusXM app.

Race details at a glance

• Date: Sunday, October 18, 2026
• Time: 2pm ET
• Race: Freeway Insurance 500
• Track: Phoenix Raceway
• Channel: SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90)

Three drivers get their own channels

Fans who want to follow one driver through the whole race can pick from three dedicated Driver Channels:

• Kyle Larson (#5): Ch. 997
• Denny Hamlin (#11): Ch. 998
• Ryan Blaney (#12): Ch. 999