By Garrett Dvorkin | Baltimore Business Journal
Under Armour Inc. cleats and gloves will be back on NFL fields this fall for the first time in five years.
The Baltimore-based sportswear maker and the league agreed to a “long-term partnership” that will see the company become an official footwear and glove partner. The deal will allow Under Armour athletes to wear the company’s gear on the field before and during games and give Under Armour access to NFL media platforms.
Under Armour and the NFL are reuniting after the sportswear company canceled its deal with the league in 2021. Under Armour had for years been cutting its sponsorship deals with sports leagues and college teams, but is now looking to get more exposure amid the company’s largest-ever marketing push.
“The NFL is excited to embark on this partnership with Under Armour, bringing their innovative products to NFL football to enhance player performance,” said Joe Ruggiero, senior vice president of consumer products for the NFL, in an announcement March 25.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Under Armour has a roster of NFL athletes, but for the past five seasons those players were not allowed to wear the company’s gear on the field. The company sponsors some of the sport’s biggest names like Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who at 23 years old became the youngest player to lead the NFL in receptions and receiving yards. Under Armour also has some local superstars on its roster, including Ravens standouts Zay Flowers and Kyle Hamilton.
As part of the deal Under Armour will also get access to NFL media platforms, content creators and the league’s distribution channels. This will allow Under Armour to collaborate with the league on content and initiatives for on-field and in-game exposure.
Under Armour joins its rivals Nike and Adidas, both of which have footwear and glove partnerships with the NFL. Under Armour had a similar agreement with the NFL before the company killed the deal in 2021 as Under Armour was cutting down on its marketing and sponsorship deals.
Under Armour’s retrenchment included backing out of a deal with Major League Baseball to become the league’s uniform provider, a decision that saved the company around $50 million. At the same time, Under Armour was also paying schools to end sponsorship deals. The company cut ties with the University of California, Berkeley, and UCLA, paying out $85 million and $280 million, respectively. Under Armour also paid almost $10 million to exit its deal with the University of Cincinnati.
Kevin Plank, however, has made marketing a priority since returning to the CEO role last March.
Plank has told investors that the company is embarking on the largest marketing push in its history. Under Armour’s selling, general and administrative costs increased by 6 percent last quarter, and the company said that was “primarily due to increased marketing investments,” according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Under Armour has also made more of an effort to hold onto its sponsored schools since Plank’s return to the CEO role. The company has re-signed three big-name colleges — the University of Maryland, the University of Notre Dame and Northwestern University — in the past two years.
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