No knock against LeBron James, but when it comes to NBA star power, nobody tops Michael Jordan. As if to drive home that point, 2K announced that Jordan, who retired in 2003, will be on the cover of its Special Edition NBA 2K16 video game…
Sports
Nike Scores NBA Deal
June 15, 2015
As expected, Nike will replace Adidas as the National Basketball Association’s official on-court apparel provider, starting in the 2017-2018 season. The eight-year deal is reportedly valued at $125 billion a year, or $1 billion in total. That’s an estimated 245% more than Adidas paid. Of course…
Sports Partnerships
Adidas Extends Bayern Munich Deal
May 18, 2015
Adidas AG added 10 years to its kit sponsorship with German soccer
team and Bavarian neighbor Bayern Munich FC. The deal will now run through 2030. At a reported $1.1 billion, the deal is one of the richest in the sport, dwarfing…
Pro Sports Licensed Retail Sales Score 5% Increase in 2014: Most Leagues Grow, Driven by Apparel
May 4, 2015
This is a golden age for pro sports in North America. You can see it in not only the record TV ratings and attendance figures, but also at the cash registers. According to The Licensing Letter’s Annual Licensing Business Survey , retail sales of licensed sports goods topped $14.1 billion in 2014. Sports properties now account for 14.1% of all licensed goods sold in the U.S. and Canada…
SPORTS
Ecommerce Grows as Channel for Sports Licensed Goods; Department Stores Down
May 4, 2015
Mirroring North American trends, retail sales of licensed sports products in the U.S. and Canada originating in the ecommerce channel grew slightly in 2014; department store sales were down a tad and the other channels… . . . read more
Sports
Russell Wilson Tops NFL Jersey Sales
May 4, 2015
Seattle Seahawk QB Russell Wilson was the top selling NFL jersey for fiscal year 2015, according to NFL Players Inc. (NFLPI). Not surprisingly, all 5 of the top sellers were…
Sports
LeBron Tops NBA Jersey Sales
May 4, 2015
LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers led the list of top-selling NBA player jerseys for the sixth time, according to the league. The rankings are based on overall retail sales on NBAStore.com since the beginning of the 2014-15 season. James was followed in the Top 5 by…
Licensing Campaign to Back Soccer’s Copa America Centennial
April 20, 2015
The producer of the Copa America soccer tournament is looking to licensing to help build awareness for the tournament’s 2016 centennial. WeMatch, the partnership that holds the commercial rights to Copa America, will work with… . . . read more
Sports
MLB & Majestic Re-up
April 6, 2015
Continuing a partnership that started in 1982, Majestic Athletic will remain the uniform licensee of Major League Baseball Properties through 2019 with exclusive rights to design, produce and distribute on-field uniforms, authentic collection apparel, replica jerseys and other men’s and women’s fan apparel for all 30 MLB teams…
Sports
Adidas to Give Up NBA Sponsorship
April 6, 2015
After 11 years of being the official apparel sponsor of the NBA, Adidas announced that it will not seek to renew its status after the 2016–2017 season. According to several reports, the announcement came about a week after the League told Adidas that it would open the bidding to other brands like Nike and Under Armour. Result:…