Must-read
News briefs
On, FKA twigs and the art of recovery
Recovery, folded into training, is On’s new engine beyond running.
Article
Aerospace-grade carbon fiber debuts in Xtep racing shoe
The fiber once reserved for deep-space and medical uses now sits under a runner’s forefoot in Xtep’s new racers
Article
US women’s sports audience and ad spend are booming
US audiences watched 46 billion minutes of women’s sports in 2025, while brands poured in record ad dollars, per Nielsen.
On, FKA twigs and the art of recovery
Recovery, folded into training, is On’s new engine beyond running.
Aerospace-grade carbon fiber debuts in Xtep racing shoe
The fiber once reserved for deep-space and medical uses now sits under a runner’s forefoot in Xtep’s new racers
Agassi’s venture launches global padel, pickleball network
Steffi Graf will lead the Germany rollout and Darren Cahill the Australia rollout, ASE’s first two markets.
ASICS chases New York energy with new tennis shoe
The GEL-Challenger 15 extends the Stability logic from ASICS’ Playing Styles system to a lower price point, and to a second use this year.
lululemon unifies China and APAC under one leader
San Yan Ng, lululemon’s China chief since 2018, expands into a new regional president role covering APAC.
US women’s sports audience and ad spend are booming
US audiences watched 46 billion minutes of women’s sports in 2025, while brands poured in record ad dollars, per Nielsen.
US Open 2026: an essential brand guide
A breakdown of the sporting goods brands, athletes, rackets and product launches at the 2026 US Open.
Jordan Brand signs London Lions to multi-year kit deal
The deal lands as London Lions builds commercial infrastructure under new CEO Steve Devereux, appointed in July to drive growth.
Kickz names basketball retail veteran general manager
Kickz names Marijn van Dommelen general manager | SGIE
Stay informed. Stay ahead. Every weekday in your inbox: the SGIE Daily Digest newsletter.
The news, analysis and competitive signals that matter — curated for industry professionals.
Sign up for free
Paddletek buys pickleball paddle maker PIKKL
PIKKL joins a portfolio spanning Bantam, Tempest and Honeyfoam, as Paddletek also signs three unrelated pro Johnsons.
Asian tennis athletes are no longer the backup option
Once an afterthought, Asian stars like China’s Zheng Qinwen now command top sponsorship dollars, rewriting who brands back.
The Slazenger brand revival is a 43-minute comedy film
Yes, comedy. Slazenger’s answer to decades of decline is a 43-minute film starring its 23-year-old creative director.
Kostyuk reaches Wimbledon quarterfinal in Wilson dress
Her second Wilson dress sold out in days. Now Marta Kostyuk has matched it with her first Wimbledon quarterfinal.
Macron: the brand that grew by saying ‘no’
Macron’s Chief Brand & Communications Officer Angelo Marino explains why 22 years of organic growth start with knowing when to refuse.
PARTNER CONTENT
The industry’s new benchmark for excellence: ISPO Awards 2026
With renewed ambition, the ISPO Awards step onto the world stage in 2026. Entries are now open.
Aerospace-grade carbon fiber debuts in Xtep racing shoe
The fiber once reserved for deep-space and medical uses now sits under a runner’s forefoot in Xtep’s new racers
Li Ning’s H1 growth trails its full year target
Two quarters in, and hitting its own target now means a big second half swing.
North America now JD Sports’ weak link
North America, JD’s biggest market, drags Q2 sales down and forces a narrower profit range for FY27.
Foot Locker to open new kind of neighborhood store in LA
Foot Locker opens a community-oriented store in LA’s Crenshaw on Aug. 22, co-developed with Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse, highlighting shifts at both Nike and Foot Locker under Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Stella International opens plants, exits Philippines
The Nike and HOKA supplier is adding capacity in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh while closing a Philippines site.
Foot Locker to open new kind of neighborhood store in LA
Foot Locker opens a community-oriented store in LA’s Crenshaw on Aug. 22, co-developed with Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse, highlighting shifts at both Nike and Foot Locker under Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Intersport opens in Portugal
Intersport has entered its 41st country as Intersport France opens a flagship-format store in Felgueiras, Portugal, anchoring a new Iberian subsidiary that combines the Portuguese debut with roughly 30 inherited Spanish stores.
Running brands bet on Europe to win the DTC race
On, HOKA and New Balance lead a wider field, including Asics and Saucony, investing in Europe’s community-led retail boom.
Aerospace-grade carbon fiber debuts in Xtep racing shoe
The fiber once reserved for deep-space and medical uses now sits under a runner’s forefoot in Xtep’s new racers
ASICS chases New York energy with new tennis shoe
The GEL-Challenger 15 extends the Stability logic from ASICS’ Playing Styles system to a lower price point, and to a second use this year.
US Open 2026: an essential brand guide
A breakdown of the sporting goods brands, athletes, rackets and product launches at the 2026 US Open.
Jordan Brand signs London Lions to multi-year kit deal
The deal lands as London Lions builds commercial infrastructure under new CEO Steve Devereux, appointed in July to drive growth.
US women’s sports audience and ad spend are booming
US audiences watched 46 billion minutes of women’s sports in 2025, while brands poured in record ad dollars, per Nielsen.
Running footwear sales climb 13% as US market stalls
US footwear sales inched up 1 percent in H1 2026, but running shoes grew 13 times faster.
Running State of Play 2026
Nearly a third of runners started during the pandemic, motivated by health not competition – they are reshaping the sport
How SE Asian local brands find a competitive edge
A Bali brand built on surplus fabric from global labels. A Brunei brand built on repairs. How Southeast Asian local brands compete.
Lululemon comms chief Bill Chandler exits Sept. 4
Chandler’s exit follows Lululemon’s AI chief and strategy chief departures ahead of O’Neill’s Sept. 8 CEO start.
New Balance UK factory gets a garden by a jeweller
London jewellery brand Bleue Burnham, founded by a self-taught gardener, designed the space for New Balance’s 300 UK shoemakers.
Macron: the brand that grew by saying ‘no’
Macron’s Chief Brand & Communications Officer Angelo Marino explains why 22 years of organic growth start with knowing when to refuse.
TrusTrace’s cofounder Rajan on the cost of compliance
Hrishikesh Rajan, co-founder and chief growth officer at TrusTrace, in conversation with SGI Europe.
Oberalp Contribute Report 2025: circularity data
The mountain sports group’s own numbers cut against its circularity growth story.
How SE Asian local brands find a competitive edge
A Bali brand built on surplus fabric from global labels. A Brunei brand built on repairs. How Southeast Asian local brands compete.
Chori: more than a supplier, a strategic textile partner from yarn to garment
With nearly 180 years in textiles, Japan’s Chori has evolved from fibre trader to fully integrated development and manufacturing partner — and is now making a direct pitch to European performance brands seeking consolidated supply chains backed by verified sustainability data.
New Balance UK factory gets a garden by a jeweller
London jewellery brand Bleue Burnham, founded by a self-taught gardener, designed the space for New Balance’s 300 UK shoemakers.
Worldly appoints Senior VP of Growth
On Aug. 11 Worldly appointed Léyoh Goodall Senior Vice President of Growth, tasking her with aligning the supply-chain platform’s commercial and customer teams around “verified data” – rather than “estimates or averages” – in an era of “tariff pressure, tightening regulation, and multi-tier complexity.”
Prediction markets carve into the sports rights pie
Prediction markets are entering sports rights. Same package. New buyer.
Trail-running app RacePace builds prep on race history
The update pulls a runner’s full ITRA history into prep, not just fitness data - sharper plans for those returning from a break.
Fanatics brings some financial plumbing in house
Better known for jerseys and memorabilia, Fanatics is acquiring the exchange and clearinghouse behind its prediction markets.
Hainan duty-free partners with Lululemon
The Hainan duty-free retailer is expanding a sports portfolio that now includes Lululemon, Salomon, Under Armour, adidas and Nike.
Nike may pocket the tariff refund. Consumers want it back.
Footwear giant raised prices by up to $10 to offset $1bn in import costs. Now the tariffs are gone — and so is its commitment to refund shoppers.
Trump tariff refunds: are you in the queue?
$127 billion enters the queue — but not all at once
US Customs race to build IEEPA tariff refund system
Around 330,000 US importers await refunds on $166bn in IEEPA tariffs as CBP builds a new processing system under court supervision.
Whoop wins FDA closeout on blood pressure feature
The FDA dropped its 2025 enforcement action after Whoop modified its interface and the agency updated its wellness guidance.
UK: adidas, Uniqlo and CK ads banned for greenwashing
The UK advertising regulator banned Google ads from adidas, Uniqlo and Calvin Klein for unsubstantiated recycled material claims.
Gildan faces class action probes after short-seller report
Levi & Korsinsky, Kalloghlian Myers and Howard G. Smith open investigations after Gildan shares drop 18.8%
Gildan’s growth story meets an activist short seller
Activist short seller Jehoshaphat Research alleges channel stuffing, a $510m inventory overhang, and governance red flags
Intelligence, analysis and advice for the global sporting goods industry.
TOPICS
Corporate and FinancialRetail and Supply
Marketing
Consumer
People and HR
Events and Trade Shows
Legal
CSR and Sustainability
Technology and AI
Asia-Pacific
Athlete economy
China and APAC
MARKET ANALYSIS
Analysis and dataIndustry Scorecards
Reports
Case Studies
SERIES and SPECIALS
FIFA World Cup 2026Winter Olympics 2026
Circular Economy
Impact of Sports
Redefining CSR 2025
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Membership plansFAQs
ASK SGIE AI
For premium subscribersABOUT US
About usNewsroom and Contacts
Media solutions
- COPYRIGHT © EDM PUBLICATIONS GMBH
- Contact Us
- FAQS
- Terms and Conditions
- Privacy & Cookies Policy
- Impressum
- Issues
- Topics A-Z