adidas Announces Plans to Sign Hundreds of Endorsement Deals with NFL & MLB Players
In an effort to expand its reach in the U.S. market, adidas has announced plans to sign hundreds of
In an effort to expand its reach in the U.S. market, adidas has announced plans to sign hundreds of endorsement deals with NFL and MLB players over the next three years. According to reports the German sportswear brand has set aside funds to sign deals with up to 500 players, marking a dramatic shift in its marketing strategy. adidas has already been a major player in soccer, particularly with its ongoing endorsements with posterboy Lionel Messi and the more recent mega-deal with Manchester United in addition to clubs like Real Madrid and Bayern Münich, but it recently lost its second place position (behind Nike) in the U.S. sportswear market to Under Armour after a 11% drop in profit in its most recent quarter. The key to getting a bigger foothold in the U.S. market will be by gaining influence in traditionally American sports like baseball and football. Currently it has fewer than 40 endorsement deals in place with Robert Griffin III (Washington Redskins), DeMarco Murray (Dallas Cowboys) and Von Miller (Denver Broncos) just to name a few but with NFL deals relatively less expensive than soccer deals, look for adidas to aggressively pursue some of the biggest names in the coming seasons.
