The global sportswear market is shifting and expanding
Adidas has been getting active in Australia
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Qantas extended its Official Airline Partnership with Cricket Australia for 3 years and expanded it to also become the Overseas Tour Partner for the national men’s and women’s teams - the Qantas branding will feature on the women’s teams’ shirts and training apparel
Lexus Australia extended its Principal Partnership with the Victoria Racing Club for 3 years (taking the association to 25 years) which includes Naming Rights to the Melbourne Cup
Swimming Australia unveiled a new 4-year Swimwear and Team Apparel Partnership extension with arena that will see the Dolphins through to the 2028 LA Olympics and Paralympics
Credit Union SA extended its partnership with Port Adelaide FC across the AFL and AFLW programs for the 2025 season, and will continue to provide exclusive deals, offers and prizes to both the club’s members
Macca’s extended its Major Partnership with the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys until atleast 2027, which will see the iconic Golden Arches continue to feature on the back of the NRL playing shorts
NSW Swifts welcomed Specsavers as its Official Eyewear and Eye Health Partner which will see the Specsavers logo appear on player uniforms - Specsavers optometrists will also provide support to players both on and off the court with access to regular eye tests and eyewear
Hyundai extended its Official Vehicle Partnership of Netball WA and West Coast Fever for a further 2-years, and named Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard as the Official Hyundai Ambassador for Netball WA’s Community Raffle
Adelaide Thunderbirds welcomed South Ave, an SA brand known for its zero-sugar, low-calorie beverages, to the Tbirds Family in 2025
Melbourne Mavericks announced a new partnership with Master Builders Victoria which became the Official Coaches Partner for season 2025 and will feature on the coaches uniforms
The Wallabies, alongside the British & Irish Lions, confirmed IHG Hotels & Resorts as the official hotel partner of this year’s tour, building on IHG’s two-decade-long relationship with Rugby Australia
Sydney Swans unveiled a limited-edition Gather Round capsule as part of an exclusive collaboration with Nike - The collection will be worn by the team as it travels to Adelaide for the festival of footy
The AFL announced that Birds of Tokyo will perform at the Norwood Food & Wine Festival on Sunday 13 April as part of Gather Round
Pop superstar Dua Lipa was gifted a personalised Matildas jersey by Kyah Simon
The 2025 Suncorp Super Netball season was launched on Bondi Beach, and Melbourne Vixens hosted a fan day at Federation Square
Melbourne City FC and the City of Casey welcomed the announcement of a $10.68m funding commitment towards a new boutique rectangular stadium – contingent on the outcome of the upcoming Federal Election
The South Australian Sports Institute $88m world-class facility opened its doors to the community to show how it will help the state achieve success from grassroots to the Olympics, Paralympics, Commonwealth Games and world championship events
The NFL expanded its Global Markets Program which will see the Las Vegas Raiders and Seattle Seahawks join the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams in holding international marketing rights in both Australia and New Zealand
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The global sportswear market is shifting and expanding
While major incumbents such as Nike, adidas, and PUMA continue to dominate, the rise of challenger brands is intensifying competition.
Many companies have recently unveiled their FY24 results and future forecasts, with mixed results and reactions from markets:
Nike shares hit a 5-year low (market cap below $100b) recently after releasing its future sales forecasts
adidas had a ‘successful year’ as revenue rose 11% to €23.7b for 2024
PUMA was “not satisfied” after falling short of 2024 profit expectations
lululemon shares recently fell 13% after giving downbeat annual forecasts
More broadly:
ASICS has seen its share price rise over 300% over the last 3 years
On and Hoka’s share prices rose steadily for the majority of 2024 but have recently encountered major dips since the beginning of 2025
According to a The Business of Fashion & McKinsey & Company 2025 report, privately-owned challenger brands are seeing exceptional growth globally, including New Balance, Vuori and Alo Yoga.
New Balance posted another record-setting year in 2024, with global annual sales reaching $7.8b, a 20% YoY increase and the fourth consecutive year of 20%+ growth.
Brand marketing has been key to New Balance's growth, and according to Ad Age-The Harris Poll rankings, it's a top performer in capturing the hearts (and wallets) of Gen Z.
Although a heavy focus has been directed to the above brands, some argue that Decathlon isn’t getting enough airtime for how much it’s been “smashing it”.
With the global activewear market projected to reach $772b by 2032, the battle between challenger brands and incumbents is set to intensify
However, opportunities are abundant for both established players and emerging disruptors, and brands are looking to carve out their share.
Nike has a new CEO and is in the process of shifting its global strategy
PUMA just unveiled its largest global campaign and is planning to increase marketing spend by 40% this year
~90% of sportswear brands are predicting either steady or increased sales in 2025
Industry trends worth noticing:
Athletes are launching their own brands e.g. Tiger Woods launched Sun Day Red with TaylorMade
Brands are offering equity to athletes in return for their endorsement e.g. Roger Federer is an owner and global ambassador for On.
Brands are finding creative ways to structure deals e.g. Steph Curry became President of Under Armour’s “Curry Brand” and received $75m worth of shares as part of long-term deal.
Teams are looking to go vertical – It’s been reported that FC Barcelona has been exploring exiting its $100m Nike contract and manufacturing its kit in-house.
Brands are increasingly expanding their product lines, and encroaching on each other’s territories:
Alo Yoga launched its first performance-focused running shoe in 2024
lululemon is expanding into tennis & golf and plans to double its men’s business by 2026 (compared to 2021)
On is expanding into tennis
Sports such as Tennis are becoming trendy - Over the last few years, brands such as Lululemon, Vuori, J.Lindeberg, Greyson, Sigrun, Original Penguin, Free People, Alo, Hugo Boss and Armani have entered into the tennis world, via player or tournament sponsorships.
Women’s startups are emerging - In Australia, the growth of women’s sports is fueling the rise of female-centric apparel and equipment brands. Startups like IDA Sports, Boob Armour, and Zena Sport are meeting the needs of a rapidly expanding market.
adidas has been getting active in Australia
Globally, adidas has just marked 2024 a “successful year” with revenue rising 11%, a performance that was “significantly better than initially expected.”
Coinciding with the above financial performance, adidas also reported “double-digital” brand growth worldwide.
Google Trends data shows a surge in adidas brand interest in Australia around the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, followed by sustained momentum and peaks throughout 2024 and to date.
A combination of fresh branding, strategic partnerships, and high-impact activations has likely helped fueled this upward trajectory
Here’s a look at some key initiatives worth noticing:
New South Wales Rugby League Partnership
adidas became the Official Apparel and Footwear Partner of the NSW Rugby League in 2024, and is becoming visible across the men’s and women’s Westpac NSW Origin team playing and training kits as part of the 5-year deal.
Athletes Partnerships
adidas recently announced a multi-year partnership with teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout in a deal reportedly worth $6m.
Other new high-profile athlete partnerships include:
Neomie Fox
Sam Lalor
Alix Tauru
In addition, adidas already has a suite of high-profile athlete partnerships with the likes of Darcy Moore, Ellyse Perry, Peter Bol, Charlie Curnow, Nathan Cleary, Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler and many more.
Brand Activations
Around the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, adidas:
Unveiled the Official Match Ball of the tournament by flying a giant replica over Sydney with a helicopter
Launched an immersive pop-up experience called “Stadium adidas” at Sydney's iconic Mrs. Macquarie's Chair which has stunning views of the harbour
Showcased its partnerships with Mary Fowler and Caitlin Foord by branding 2 x high rise buildings in Sydney’s CBD
High-impact outdoor advertising has been a key feature
Peter Bol, Jess Fox and Kyra Cooney-Cross have all featured on large-format OOH ads.
In addition, adidas:
Celebrated Jess Fox’s Olympic Gold medal by launching “Jess Fox” park
Extended its sponsorship of City2Surf for 5 years (until 2027) and launched a large-scale pop-up activation on Bondi Beach to activate it
Leveraged its global partnerships around major sports events:
Stefanos Tsitsipas made an appearance at a local junior practice when he was in town for the Australian Open
Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and Melbourne Storm’s Ryan Papenhuyzen met for a race on an F1 simulator around the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix
Inside the adidas Emporium store, a number of F1 features were installed including a replica of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 W16 E Performance
adidas’ high-volume marketing appears set to continue in Australia
It recently transitioned away from its 20-year-old ‘Impossible Is Nothing’ tagline and will likely be looking to invest in activity surrounding its new ‘You Got This’ tagline which is focused on overcoming self-doubt and empowering athletes of all levels.
A-Leagues - Commercial Operations Executive
adidas - Director Category Management
AFL - Stadium Experience Lead
Amer Sports - Senior Marketing Manager
Blackmores - Brand Manager - Move, Sponsorship & PR
Brand Collective - Marketing Coordinator - Reebok & Superdry
Brand Collective - Marketing Manager - Reebok
Brisbane 2032 - Content Producer
Brisbane 2032 - Commercial Asset Development Manager
Brisbane 2032 - Director of Community Affairs
Brisbane Lions - Digital Coordinator
Brisbane Roar - Head of Consumer and Memberships
Carlton FC - Commercial Events Manager
Chery - Sponsorship and Events Manager
Commonwealth Bank - Senior Manager, Brand Partnerships
Cronulla Sharks - Sponsorship Sales Executive
Decathlon Australia - Business Developer
Football Australia - Manager - Commercial Operations
Football Australia - Commercial Manager - New Competitions
Football Australia - Manager - Media Rights and Partnerships
Flight Centre - Sports & Entertainment Supplier Content Manager
Flinders University - Brand Campaign and Partnership Lead
Foot Locker - Marketing Specialist
Foxtel Group - Junior Sport Content Producer
Griffith University - Event Manager, Griffith Sport
IRONMAN, Oceania - Account Coordinator, Partnerships
lululemon - Brand Manager, Australia & New Zealand
lululemon - Manager, Brand Operations (12 Months Contract)
lululemon - Senior Manager, Area Community
Melbourne Storm - Digital Manager
NBL - Media & PR Manager
New Balance - CRM & Loyalty Coordinator
New Balance - eCommerce Specialist
Peloton - Marketing Manager
Queensland Rugby League - Consumer Business Manager
Red Bull - Head of Communications (14m FTC)
South Sydney Rabbitohs - Partnerships Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Digital Sales Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - General Manager - Perth Lynx
Sports Entertainment Network - Partnership Coordinator
Sportsbet - Senior Product Manager
St George Illawarra - Social Media and Digital Content Specialist
Tennis Australia - Ecommerce Manager
Tennis Australia - Precinct Product Experience Producer
TGI Sport - Account Manager - Brand Partnerships
TGI Sport - Event Experiential Producer
THE ICONIC - Head of Sports
World Rugby - General Manager - Commercial Integration (Men's RWC 2027)
Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.