Extended Abstract
Background and Purpose
Public relations have become an indispensable part of management teams, playing a crucial role in achieving organizational goals. In communication theory, public relations are recognized as an applied science and a management discipline (Thurlow et al., 2018), engaging in all interactions between organizations and the public (Jakopović, 2020). In the realm of sports, public relations extend beyond mere information dissemination and news management; they act as the backbone for maintaining social capital, attracting financial sponsors, and ensuring the legitimacy of sports institutions within society. Sports public relations can be defined as the creation, development, and maintenance of healthy, accurate, and trustworthy relationships with individuals or organizations, fostering positive public perceptions, and integrating with society (Göksel & Serarslan, 2015). In essence, sports public relations focus on media relations, media rights, promotional and informational activities, sponsorship, event management, and fan engagement (Serbanica & Constantinescu, 2016). A strong understanding of sports public relations is essential to identify potential risks and challenges to the client's reputation and to adopt appropriate measures to mitigate the negative effects. In an ever-evolving sports public relations landscape, researchers, coaches, and practitioners find themselves at the crossroads of opportunities and challenges. The dynamic interaction among media, fans, organizations, and institutions creates a complex picture. Despite the abundance of unknown challenges, sports public relations has the potential to shape the future of the sports industry and the public relations field itself (Tafa, 2025). Given the special position of Iranian sports in culture and society, as well as the distinctive management structure of sports institutions, this field faces a range of different communication and innovative challenges that can undermine the success of communication strategies. As Zare and colleagues (1403) stated in their study, one of the biggest challenges in sports public relations in Iran is cultural and social issues. Iranian audiences have different expectations regarding sports and sports organizations. For example, transparency in information dissemination and accountability in response to sensitive sports matters are highly valued. Given the pivotal role of public relations in the success of sports organizations and its direct influence on public opinion management, garnering fan support, attracting sponsors, and enhancing organizational branding, it is critical to identify the existing communication and innovative challenges. Accordingly, the primary question of this research is: What are the communication and innovative challenges of sports public relations in Iran?
Methods
The present study adopts a qualitative research approach utilizing thematic analysis. In the qualitative phase, Brown and Clarke's (2006) six-step approach (familiarizing with data, generating initial codes, searching for selective codes, forming organized themes, defining and naming global themes, and creating a model) was employed to identify the challenges of sports public relations in Iran. The statistical population consisted of experts, university professors, senior managers, and experienced specialists in the fields of public relations and sports management in Iran. In this study, the views of 13 elites and experts were gathered through semi-structured interviews, which concluded when theoretical saturation was reached. Consequently, qualitative interviews with experts were used for data collection. To assess the validity of the qualitative phase, triangulation and four-level trustworthiness criteria were employed. The reliability coefficient obtained across two coding stages was 82.9%. Data analysis was conducted based on open, axial, and selective coding using the thematic analysis method rooted in Braun and Clarke's six steps.
Results
Following the coding of all interview transcripts, a total of 56 initial codes were generated regarding the communicative and innovative challenges of sports public relations in Iran. After coding all data and constructing numerous initial codes or concepts, the second phase of data coding, known as axial coding, commenced. In this stage, the researcher discarded incomplete, irrelevant, and duplicate codes to arrive at the selective codes. Consequently, codes were eliminated, leaving 44 remaining codes. These 44 codes were identified within the framework of 8 organizing themes. Based on the results, the themes of infrastructure and strategic integration challenges of public relations, communication and messaging challenges, human resources and capabilities challenges, structural and discursive barriers in the organizational legitimation process, external and technological challenges, and challenges arising from the adoption of artificial intelligence were identified as the global themes representing the final challenges of sports public relations in Iran. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that, to effectively address the communication and technological challenges of public relations in the era of artificial intelligence, it is necessary to shift the perspective from traditional public relations to creative, data-driven, and interactive public relations. This change not only helps improve the quality of sports communications, but can also lead to greater soft power, sports diplomacy, and a more positive international image of Iran.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of the thematic analysis, eight organizing themes were formulated from 42 open codes, structured within three overarching themes: "Communication and Messaging Challenges," "External-Technological Challenges," and "Challenges Arising from the Adoption of Artificial Intelligence." The results are congruent with the studies conducted by Khomaroo (2019), Bay-Salameh et al. (2023), Kumar Khare et al. (2023), Madumere (2025), and Al Hadeed et al. (2024). Specifically, Kumar Khare et al. (2023) asserted in their research that organizations should engage in proficient public relations initiatives to foster improvement and growth, establish robust communications with stakeholders, and adopt a strategic orientation toward public relations activities to amplify their growth opportunities. They further underscored the pivotal role of communication strategies and the integration of public relations with marketing to enhance brand profitability—a conclusion that aligns with the present study. At the organizational and operational level, public relations departments within sports clubs and federations must progress toward enhancing human resource capabilities in digital and data-centric literacy. This will enable them to harness the potential of data analytics, natural language processing, and AI-generated content in their media engagements.
Article Message
The results indicate that sports public relations, in addition to facing traditional challenges in human and organizational communication, is encountering fundamental transformations driven by emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. These transformations have altered the nature of the roles, functions, and skills required of public relations specialists. The present study conveys a message to managers, policymakers, and practitioners in the field of sports public relations to reinvent the role and structure of public relations within the context of modern digital technologies by adopting a strategic and futuristic approach.
Ethical Considerations
Prior to the commencement of the sessions, ethical considerations, including the research objectives, confidentiality, and the protection of individuals' privacy, were outlined.
Authors' Contributions
All authors contributed to the conduct of this research.
Conflict of Interest
According to the authors, this article has no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
The researchers wish to express their sincere gratitude to all participants who took part in this study.