• Loading stock data...
Sunday, August 24, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Buy tickets now!

Sports Merchandise Opportunities Growing Beyond Jerseys, Logo Tees

  • Team merchandise lines are growing as fans seek to show off their loyalty outside the stadium.
  • From lifestyle brand partnerships to quick moment-in-time products, teams are looking for a way into the closet.
sports merchandise
Photo Courtesy: Rank & Rally

As fan habits change, so too are the ways teams are approaching merchandise. 

Teams are filling out their retail stores with wider arrays of clothing options – well beyond jerseys and logo tees – and staying nimble and launching merchandise that ties into the moment. Several teams the past year have seen immense success capturing a moment and celebrating it with the fans, from the Carolina Hurricanes’ “Bunch of Jerks” and St. Louis Blues “Gloria” to the Washington National’s “Baby Shark.”

From those special moment-in-time pieces to lifestyle apparel partnerships, there’s plenty of room to capitalize on a growing revenue opportunity in merchandise, said Adam Beck, senior vice president of retail at Rank and Rally, the retail arm of Levy Restaurants.

“We’ll see over time whether or not there is a glass ceiling, but for right now, we’re experiencing fantastic growth with these retail programs in revenue and per capita spending,” Beck said. “It’s more complex; people aren’t looking at team merchandise as they did historically, you’re competing as much against other apparel brands outside the arena as other licensed goods.”

According to Kenneth Research, global licensed sports merchandise sales were $26.47 billion in 2018, with the potential to jump to nearly $34 billion by 2023.

Rather than just buying a jersey to wear to the game, Beck said consumers are now focused on buying pieces they can wear to casual Friday at work, the bar, or the golf course. Beck said teams are increasingly partnering with more lifestyle-focused apparel brands.

For example, the Vegas Golden Knights recently partnered with Lululemon to create Golden Knights-branded athleisure products. Beck also mentioned a denim customization station with the Golden Knights.

He said leagues, specifically citing the NBA and NHL, have embraced allowing teams to build out local licensed apparel to sell in the venue.

“That’s led to significant revenue growth,” Beck said. “The broader the assortment becomes, the broader the target demographic gets, and you can expand beyond the core consumer, and you’re not bumping up in the closets full of jerseys.”

Just as fans want to support their teams in everyday settings, Beck said the trend of capturing moments in time is growing too. For starters, people want to have a conversation piece built around something important to them. Likewise, he said consumer habits are changing, and younger generations are hesitant to spend on material goods.

“There’s been a paradigm shift of what people are willing to spend their money on,” Beck said. “Within retail, how do we meet them where they’re at in their journey? We can freeze the moment in time to harken back to an experience that was meaningful to them.”

For that to be successful, Beck said teams have to allow to happen organically. It can’t be an idea generated at a meeting, but something they react to and strategically run with to create life beyond a meaningful moment.

Not forcing the brand is key to success, said Mike Forman, Hurricanes vice president of marketing and brand strategy. FOS detailed the Hurricanes’ quick-to-market merchandise plan with the “Bunch of Jerks” shirts last year, and a little less than a year later, it’s still the team’s No. 1 selling shirt. All told, more than 25,000 shirts have been sold to 19 countries and all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces.

“I’d say it’s become intertwined with our brand,” Forman said. “The success we’re seeing is without forcing it. Sometimes organizations can get in trouble trying to carry something past its prime.”

Forman said the Hurricanes have seen it continued because the fans have embraced the “jerks” moniker and see it as a compliment. It also helps the team still maintains the fun personality that made former Sportsnet broadcaster Don Cherry utter those fateful words. 

While he believes it’s for a variety of reasons, Forman believes the slogan has staying power in part because others are doing the work for the team, and “Bunch of Jerks” largely has been kept off marketing materials. 

But as the team sees an increase in attendance – 14,322 fans per game last season to 16,512 this year – Forman said new fans are quick to want to join the “Bunch of Jerks” club. 

The World Series Champion Washington Nationals began selling Baby Shark merchandise designed by retailer BreakingT in June, inspired by outfielder Gerardo Parra’s walk-up song. The fever caught on as the team made its postseason push.

“We had been selling Parra t-shirts online, and at [Nationals Park] all summer long,” BreakingT President Jamie Mottram told FOS in November. “It was a surprise to us that it became an instant phenomenon in October.”

Not all teams will continue to push their quick success capturing a moment. The Stanley Cup-winning Blues said they wouldn’t continue to use Gloria as the team’s victory song this year.

READ MORE: Dodgers Hope Merchandise Collaborations Provide Bridge To New Fans

Beck said along with the Gloria buzz, the Stanley Cup run has provided lots of opportunities in Blues merchandise, particularly with players’ wives. 

“That’s been very successful,” he said. “They have large social followings and can help push out to an underserved demographic in sports apparel. Women’s apparel has historically been ‘pink it and shrink it,’ that doesn’t resonate with female fans and consumers. We can take something like this and develop something unique.”

While taking a quick comment and turning it into a massive merchandise success seems repeatable, it’s far from easy. Forman said they’ve tried to replicate even a fraction of the success, and a lot of it is pure luck.

“It’s a bit of a balancing act,” Beck said. “As many success stories as you see, there’s a larger amount of times they went for something and flamed out early or never caught hold. Fans have a good BS meter if it doesn’t feel authentic.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Judge Rules for NFL, Fanatics Against Small Apparel Seller

The lawsuit argued the NFL “aids and abets” Fanatics with its strategy.
Feb 7, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies center Tarris Reed Jr. (5) reacts after his basket against the St. John's Red Storm in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.

After Decade Apart, ESPN and Big East Rekindle Media Rights Relationship

After a decade-plus apart, the network will stream hundreds of conference events.

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
Jun 10, 2025; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) drops back to pass during minicamp at their South Side facility.
opinion

Steelers Win-Now Mode Is Good News for NFL Media Partners

The conservative “Steeler Way” has finally adapted—and media partners are happy.

Featured Today

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
August 23, 2025

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.
Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks with the media during the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
August 22, 2025

‘Not Ready to Jump In’: Power 4 Commissioners Aren’t Sold on PE

Top leaders in college sports have yet to see a satisfactory proposal.
Nov 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin looks at quarterback Drew Allar (15) during the first quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium.
August 22, 2025

Private Equity Enters College Sports—Without the Equity

As college football starts, lending agreements have become PE’s best way in.
FIFA

Saudis Awarded 2034 World Cup in Uncontested Vote

Saudi Arabia was the only option after Australia decided not to bid.
May 20, 2024

Top Sports Business Jobs This Week (May 2024)

Each week, our staff combs through the thousands of job listings from…
The stands at the Solheim Cup
September 13, 2024

LPGA Apologizes for Solheim Cup Fan Bus Debacle That Left Stands Half-Empty

The USA-Europe women’s team golf event teed off Friday morning.
Sponsored

Building A Pro League From Scratch

Front Office Sports and Gainbridge® spotlight what it takes to build a professional women’s soccer league.
October 3, 2022

Real Madrid President Renews Call for Super League

Real Madrid’s president believes that soccer is losing ground.
August 10, 2022

PGA Tour Touts Projected Earnings to Keep Players

The PGA Tour is asking its players to consider their potential futures.
August 10, 2022

Bayern Munich to Make Growth Push in U.S. Market

Bayern Munich is looking to expand its reach in the U.S.
Nintendo-logo
August 3, 2022

Nintendo Profits Underwhelm, Switch Sales Decline

Nintendo failed to meet expectations in the company’s latest earnings report.