9 months ago
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On March 21, Nike announced a major coup against its chief rival, Adidas. The latter has been the official sponsor and kit provider for the German men’s national soccer team for 77 years. But now, Nike is taking over the license.
The change in sponsor was momentous for several reasons. For starters, Germany is one of the most decorated teams in the most popular sport in the world — it has the second most World Cup wins, tied with Italy and only behind Brazil, and has gone to the finals more than any other team. What’s more, it’s the Bavaria-based Adidas’s home team. Adidas was reportedly “blindsided” by the team’s decision. According to the German newspaper Handelsblatt, Nike paid over $100 million for the sponsorship, twice what Adidas had been paying.
The business of sponsoring teams and athletes has always been both a financial boon and a mark of pride for sportswear companies. But as sports continue to grow in popularity, events like March Madness, the New York City Marathon and the Summer Olympics in Paris are becoming bigger brand battlegrounds. One estimate put soccer viewership at around 40% of the entire human population.
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