Sultana Rinky
In this article, we have prepared a list of the top 10 Sports brands in the world in 2017 based on the business parameter of Revenue.
Sportswear is clothes, shoes, and accessories that are specifically designed for sports purposes. It needs to have certain functions, thermal properties, comfort, sustainability, specific fabric weight, and many other properties to suit different sports. For swimming, the clothes may have different materials. Many clothes also have water-resistant qualities, just like cameras have protection against water such as the Outex underwater camera housing. Some have spandex to make them stretch with the body; others have thermal qualities for the purpose of keeping the body of the athlete warm in cold situations and cool in warm situations. Sports gear is also included in sportswear. Sometimes some sportswear also serves as a uniform for particular sports.
Sports companies have become massive businesses owing to their huge presence across countries and high brand loyalty. Customers worldwide seek the latest in sports equipment and the trendiest sportswear, and hence, the market for these sports companies is massive. These Sports or Sportswear companies spend aggressively on marketing and sponsorship and thus have a tremendous popular appeal and brand presence. The top sports brands include companies like Nike, Adidas, Underarmour, Puma, Asics, Converse, etc. Here is the list of the top 10 sports brands in the world in 2017.
1. Nike
Revenue(in million USD):32376
Founder:Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight in 1964
Key Person: Mark Parker (CEO)
Headquartered: Beaverton, Oregon
Products: Athletic footwear & apparel, Athletic & recreational products, Sports equipment
Nike is easily one of the biggest sports brands and its “Swoosh” tick mark logo is the most recognizable.Nike is an American MNC that is into designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing sportswear and sports equipment. The company became Nike officially on May 30, 1971, and the logo “Swoosh” – one of the most recognizable logos was also adapted by Nike in the same year.
Nike is the Greek goddess of victory and the company takes the name from there. The tagline “Just Do It” was introduced in 1988 and the slogan was inspired by “Let’s do it”, the last words spoken by Gary Gilmore before he was executed. The Swoosh logo and the tagline have been the face of the company and make up the core of Nike’s brand.
Nike promotes their products by roping in top athletes in various sports and also sponsoring official kits for the national teams in football and cricket. Some of the athletes who were sponsored include Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Neymar, Drogba and Rooney.
2. Adidas
Revenue (in million USD): 20960
Founder: Adolf Dassler in 1924
Key Person: Kasper Rorsted (CEO)
Headquartered:Herzogenaurach, Germany
Products: Shoes, t-shirts, jackets, hoodies, pants, leggings, shorts and accessories.
The subsidiaries of Adidas include sports giants like Reebok, Runtastic and Ashworth. With brand value of $5,000,000,000, Adidas is the second most valued sportswear brands in the world as per the report published by Forbes. Adidas is a major supplier of team kit to international football teams and clubs. The sports that Adidas is associated with include Football, Cricket, Base Ball, Basketball, Golf, Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Rugby, Running, Skate boarding, Tennis and Kabaddi.
The recent Parley versions of Adidas shoes show the company’s commitment to sustainable initiatives. Parley turns ocean plastic waste into thread that is woven into running shoes and each shoe uses an average of 11 plastic bottles per pair.
3. Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS)
Revenue (in million USD): 7921
Founder: Richard Stack in 1948
Key Person:Edward Stack (CEO)
Headquartered:Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, United States
Products: Sporting goods, Athletic apparel, Outerwear, Sportswear, Athletic Shoes, Casual footwear, boots, Fitness Equipment, Bicycles and Outdoor equipment.
It offers extensive assortment of authentic, high-quality sports equipment, apparel, footwear and accessories. The most common version of logo includes a golf ball, baseball, soccer ball and basketball, in that order. Major acquisitions of DKS include Galyan’s Sports and Outdoor adventure in 2004, Golf Galaxy and Chick’s Sporting Goods in 2007. Galyan’s is an Indiana based sporting chain specialty retailer that offers a broad range of products. Golf Galaxy is a golf specialty retailer and Chick’s Sporting Goods a privately held corporation with over 15 stores.
4. Underarmour
Revenue (in million USD): 4800
Founder: Kelvin Plank in 1996
Key Person: Kelvin Plank (CEO)
Headquartered: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Products: Shoes, t-shirts, jackets, hoodies, pants, leggings, shorts and accessories.
It is a symbol of speed, strength and athleticism. Underarmour was built on a moisture-wicking design initially to keep the clothes dry while playing sports. Recent trends show that the footwear segment of Under Armour is growing in much faster pace than its apparel business. Underarmour had been in news for Kelvin Plank’s praise for President Donald Trump which alienated top athletes like Stephen Curry and Dwayne Johnson
5. Puma
Revenue (in million USD): 3941
Founder:Rudolf Dassler in 1948
Key Person: Bjorn Gulden (CEO)
Headquartered:Herzogenaurach, Germany
Products: Footwear, apparel and accessories, sportswear and sports equipment.
Puma is one of the leading sportswear and goods company, which serves customers worldwide.
It was registered as Ruda originally, but later changed to Puma. Cobra Golf is a subsidiary of Puma. The sports that Puma is associated with include Football, Running, Training and Fitness, Golf and Motorsports. International footballers are sporting football boots from Puma like Antoine Griezmann, Marco Verratti, Marco Reus and Oliver Giroud. Rihanna and Kylie Jenner are the fashion icons whom Puma endorses to support its women’s business. Usian bolt, the world’s fastest man is also under contract with Puma. Puma is also world’s first company to put a value on it environmental impact based on an article published in Guardian in 2011. The recent news article tells that Puma is typing up with ShopX- Digital offline platform that would help Puma to scale up its business in Tier-II footwear markets.
6. Skechers
Revenue (in million USD):3560
Founder:Robert Greenberg (Chairman)in 1992
Key Person: Michael Greenberg (CEO)
Headquartered: Manhattan Beach, California, United States
Products: Footwear and sports equipment & branded apparel, bags, eye wear and more.
Skechers uses celebrity driven advertising with the likes of Meghan Trainor, Rob Lowe, Kelly Brook, Brooke-Burke-Charvet, Jeo Montana, Sugar Ray Leonard, Howie Long, Meb Keflezighi, Kara Coucher, Matt Kuchar, Brooke Henderson, Wesley Bryan, Billy Andrade, Belen Mozo, Ashlan Ramsey and Colin Montgomerie – each one of them endorsing the brand in their fields.
Skechers products are available in more than 160 countries. Skechers announced the first billion-dollar-plus quarter which was recorded in the first quarter of 2017.
7. Asics
Revenue (in million USD): 2890
Founder:KihachiroOnitsuka in 1949
Headquartered: Kobe, Japan
Products: Footwear and sports equipment.
ASICS, the name is derived from a Latin phrase that means “A Sound Mind in A Sound Body”. The product line of ASICS includes Athletic shoes, Apparel and Sports equipment, and the brand serves customers in more than 100 countries worldwide.
ASICS has a sponsorship deal with various sports that including Football, Baseball, Cricket, Hockey, Golf, Handball, Netball, Rugby, Swimming, Tennis, Table Tennis and Volleyball. It has been endorsed by various athletes in the sports mentioned. It is also the official sponsor for the supply of kits. ASICS became the new top sports brand sponsor after the agreement made with IAAF( International Association of Athletic Federations ) to provide footwear and apparel to officials and volunteers at all World Series events in 2017.
8. Columbia Sportswear
Revenue (in million USD):2377
Founder: Paul and Marie Lamfrom in 1938
Headquarters: Washington County, Oregon (near Beaverton), United States
Key person: Gert Boyle (Chairman), Timothy Boyle (Chief Executive Officer)
Products: Footwear, headgear, camping equipment, skiwear and outerwear accessories.
The company acquired footwear maker Sorel Corporation, Mountain Hardwear, Pacific Trail and Montrail brands. Recently Columbia Sportswear was announced as Manchester United’s first official outdoor apparel partner. Manchester United is excited to bring the fans an exciting range of club-branded products that is a new way of expressing their support for the club.
9. Northface
Revenue (in million USD):2371
Founders: Douglas Tompkins, Susie Tompkins Buell in 1966
Headquarters: Alameda, California, U.S.
Products: Outerwear, fleece, coats, shirts, footwear and equipment such as backpacks, tents and sleeping bags. The motto of the company is “Never Stop Exploring” and the logo of the company is a quarter-circle, evoking Half Dome, a massive granitic monolith in Yosemite National Park.
The North Face is a wholly owned subsidiary of the VF Corporation which also holds JanSport. Distribution channels of Northface include department stores and outdoor retailers, 55 retail and 20 outlet locations in the United States, 4 retail and 2 outlet locations in Canada and 19 locations in United Kingdom.
10. Converse
Revenue (in million USD):2000
Founder: Marquis Mills Converse in 1908
Headquartered: Boston, Massachussets, United States
Key person: Jim Calhoun, CEO
Products: Apparel, skating shoes and lifestyle brand footwear.
Converse has been acquired by Nike in 2003 but still retains its brand because of its strong brand presence. The features that distinguish Converse are the All Star’s rubber sole, smooth rounded top, and wrap-around strip. Converse All Stars, also known as Chuck Taylor All-Stars, are casual shoes developed by Converse which has remained largely unchanged since its introduction in 1949.The most widely recognized shoes are made from cotton canvas. The company sells sportswear in over 160 countries.
