Dicks Sporting Goods Inc - DKS STOCK NEWS

DICK'S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) announced the expansion of its internal influencer program, the DICK'S Varsity Team, opening it to the public. The program, previously to employees, will now accept applications from sports and social media enthusiasts until February 27, 2025.

Selected team members will create original social media content in collaboration with DICK'S and its top brands, receiving benefits including paid contracts, monthly DICK'S gift cards, and opportunities for brand exposure. Olympic gold medalist Tara Davis-Woodhall, Paralympic gold medalist Hunter Woodhall, and the Cavinder twins will serve as mentors.

Since its 2023 internal launch, the program has generated over 1,000 pieces of content with 38 million impressions, featuring in 10 campaigns for DICK'S and national brands like Away, Carhartt, New Balance, and Brooks.

DICK'S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) and The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation have announced a commitment of over $10 million to support communities affected by wildfires in California and flooding in North Carolina. The aid package includes:

- In-kind donations worth over $8 million in clothing, footwear, and sporting goods equipment
- $1 million donation to the American Red Cross
- Customer donation matching program running from Jan. 27 through Feb. 22, 2025, expected to reach nearly $1 million
- 'LA Strong' merchandise collection sales benefiting the American Red Cross and LA Fire Department Foundation

The company is also providing direct support to affected employees through its Teammate Relief Fund and has granted $100,000 in Sports Matter grants to youth sports teams in Asheville and surrounding communities.

DICK'S Sporting Goods (DKS) has secured an exclusive multi-year sponsorship with The University of Texas Athletics, becoming the 'Official Sporting Goods Retailer of the Texas Longhorns.' The partnership includes co-branding rights with the Texas Longhorns logo, student-athlete NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) collaborations, and game sponsorships across various sports.

The agreement features prominent marketing activations, including game sponsorships for basketball, baseball, softball, and volleyball throughout the 2024-25 athletics year. DICK'S will be the presenting sponsor of Hook 'Em Herd, a pre-game experience at football games, and will have activations at Bevo Blvd. The company will also sponsor Texas Football Coaches' Clinics for high school coaches.

The partnership enables Longhorn student-athletes to promote DICK'S through in-store appearances and content creation across social media channels and the Longhorn Network streaming platform.

DICK'S Sporting Goods highlights the success of its Girls' Power Panel, launched in 2021 to empower young female athletes. The program, which expanded to 21 participants aged 15-18 in 2023, provides girls a platform to influence sports-related decisions and company initiatives.

Panel members participate in monthly sessions with internal teams, collaborate with national brands on product offerings, and support The DICK'S Foundation's community initiatives. The program kicked off in Phoenix during WNBA All-Star weekend, focusing on building confidence and leadership skills while helping overcome barriers for girls and women in sports.

DICK'S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) has launched its second Holiday Shopping Sprint campaign featuring Xavier Worthy, the NFL Scouting Combine 40-yard dash record holder. The initiative provided $2,500 worth of holiday gifts to two selected winners in the Kansas City area, with Worthy personally shopping and delivering the items.

The company offers various shopping options including free shipping for ScoreCard members on orders over $49, guaranteed holiday delivery by 12/24 for orders placed by 12/18, one-hour in-store pickup, ship-to-home service, and same-day delivery in select markets. This follows last year's campaign featuring WNBA star Kelsey Plum.

DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation has renewed its support for the Anchorage Girls High School Hockey program with a $100,000 Sports Matter Grant and new equipment. This follows their initial $200,000 grant in 2013 when the program faced closure due to budget cuts. The current season costs approximately $80,000, with coaches volunteering their time to keep the program running.

Program alumni Gabi Gibson and Steinhilpert presented the grant, which includes new Bauer equipment such as helmets, gloves, water bottles, neck guards, elbow pads, sticks, and jerseys. Program director Brian Gross indicated the funding would sustain the program for four to five years. This initiative is part of The DICK'S Foundation's Sports Matter Program, which has invested over $100 million to support youth sports participation over the past decade.

DICK'S Sporting Goods (DKS) reported strong Q3 2024 results with net sales of $3.06 billion and earnings per diluted share of $2.75. The company achieved 4.2% comparable sales growth despite a calendar shift impact of approximately $105 million. Year-to-date performance showed 4.7% comparable sales growth and earnings per diluted share of $10.43. Based on strong performance, DKS raised its full-year 2024 guidance, projecting comparable sales growth of 3.6% to 4.2% and earnings per diluted share of $13.65 to $13.95. The company continues to invest in strategic initiatives like House of Sport and DICK'S Field House concepts.

DICK'S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) launched a holiday campaign featuring sports stars Simone Biles, Dak Prescott, Chris Paul, and Quinn Ewers decorating stores across Texas. Each athlete will compete to create unique holiday displays in their respective cities' stores, incorporating elements that reflect their sport and local culture. As part of the initiative, DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation will award $100,000 in Sports Matter grants to youth sports organizations chosen by each athlete. The campaign includes interactive in-store displays through year-end, broadcast commercials, and digital content across multiple platforms in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin.

The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation has released its Q3 2024 quarterly giving report, highlighting several charitable initiatives. The foundation returned to MLK High School with new support for its football program, provided a $100,000 grant to Kesem to support children affected by parental cancer, and granted $500,000 to DonorsChoose for school sports activities. The DSG brand has contributed over $3 million to the Sports Matter Program through its 1% sales giveback initiative. Additionally, Gatorade donated 5% of its DICK'S Sporting Goods product sales to the Sports Matter Program during Q3.