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Nike, Adidas bet big on World Cup football shirts

When England and Spain meet in the World Cup final on Sunday, millions of football fans will be glued to their televisions. Many will gamble on the outcome. But for companies like Nike and Adidas, there’s a whole other bet playing out: whether they made enough merchandise to satisfy the euphoric demand from fans of the winning team.

The companies decided months ago how many replica and authentic jerseys to manufacture for each of the women’s teams. Those decisions were based on a combination of historical shopping patterns for each country, conversations with retail partners and a fair bit of conjecture. Getting the picture wrong can have real consequences — both in terms of lost sales and angered fans.

“There is no formula for it — I wish there was,” Bjorn Gulden, chief executive officer of Adidas, said of the process for forecasting demand. “If there was someone who knew that, that person would be hired immediately.”

For this year’s Women’s World Cup, the stakes are particularly high. This is the first time the tournament has featured 32 teams and the prize money is triple what it was in 2019. Adidas, Nike and Puma have invested more than ever into marketing and outfitting some of the players. Globally, interest appears to be at an all-time high.

Now, for the wrinkle that nobody could have predicted: many of the tournament favorites, including every country that’s ever won the Women’s World Cup before, has already been eliminated.

Too many, too few

There are two ways to misjudge demand. If you produce too much of a country’s jerseys, it could take months to work through all that excess inventory (perhaps leading to steep markdowns in price.) That’s what Puma had to do twice in recent years after Italy’s men’s football team failed to even qualify for the World Cup.

The other mistake — the real sin in the eyes of fans — is when you don’t produce enough of a particular jersey. Puma experienced that too, when it failed to order enough Manchester City jerseys in time for a swell in demand after the Abu Dhabi majority-owned club won England’s so-called “treble” — the Premier League title, the FA Cup and Europe’s Champions League — over a few weeks this spring.

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“Demand was significantly higher than what we have anticipated,” Puma CEO Arne Freundt acknowledged. “That was an opportunity for us to re-order and reproduce.”

It may have also cost Puma money. That’s because when a team wins a big title — or a high-profile player does something remarkable, like shocking the world by changing teams — it tends to create a massive spike in demand for jerseys that lasts for just a few days, according to Doug Mack, CEO of Fanatics Commerce.

If you can’t meet that demand right away, chances are you’ll lose potential business as disappointed fans give up and move on with their lives.

“That first 72 hours is a disproportionately interesting selling opportunity,” Mack said in an interview.

Seeing the future

There are ways to satisfy fans, nonetheless. Merchandise companies often flood the market with easily stockpiled items that only require a little final printing work or other touches — such as novelty championship hats, T-shirts and other collectibles. Uniforms, however, typically require more lead time to manufacture properly, which often forces brands to place new orders with factories that may not have much capacity at the time.

To hedge against such risks, companies such as Fanatics have experimented with new ways of predicting demand. A newcomer to the sports merchandise world, Fanatics runs, among other things, the e-commerce stores for all sorts of professional leagues and sports federations. It also licenses Nike’s Swoosh to produce the fan replica and authentic jerseys for, among other things, the National Football League.

This past spring, it leveraged its professional football contacts to create a model predicting the probability that superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers would get traded to the New York Jets, as rumored at the time.

As the odds got better, in Fanatics’ eyes, it ordered up a huge stockpile of blank Jets jerseys. That came in handy when the trade actually happened, since Rodgers became the most popular jersey, selling more than the next nine players combined, according to the company. “All we had to do after the trade is finish the jerseys with his name and number,” Mack said.

It’s not always so easy. Take the case of Lionel Messi announcing his plans in early June to sign with Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami. On paper, this should have been a slam dunk for Adidas, which has had an endorsement deal with Messi for more than a decade and which outfits every team in the MLS.

Yet there were a couple of challenges. Until late in the process, Messi was also rumored to be considering signing again with Barcelona, his old club, or even a team in Saudi Arabia. The other problem: Inter Miami’s uniforms are bright pink.

As a result, fans in mid-August are still required to “pre-order” Messi’s Miami jersey from Adidas, which is scrambling to ratchet up supplies.

“Miami is playing in a color that is not normally very commercial to have on stock, so we didn’t really have that much of the material,” Adidas boss Gulden explained. “I can assure you that both factories and aircrafts and whatever we can use has been used to fulfill that demand.”

Underdogs

Companies risk becoming punching bags when they’re caught off guard. England’s Mary Earps has taken Nike to task for not making fan versions of women’s goalkeeper jerseys (Adidas also doesn’t make these.) Meanwhile, Adidas has been criticized for not making versions of the women’s World Cup uniforms in men’s sizes, Gulden said.

Then there are the usual challenges with big tournaments. As ever, there have been some high-profile upsets, with Germany exiting in the first round (sorry, Adidas) and the US getting eliminated early in the knockout stage (sorry, Nike).

While that could leave these companies with more merchandise than fans want, it’s not necessarily bad for the sport. When the same teams win over and over, their fans don’t necessarily go crazy with enthusiasm, Mack says. When an underdog wins, though, it can create rare levels of excitement.

As it turned out, each of the two big sportswear makers ended up with a team in the final: Nike sponsors England, while Adidas sponsors Spain.

“First-time champions do incredibly well,” Mack says. “Those fan bases get activated.”

Bloomberg

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Marketing & Sponsorship

Lagos Sports Commission DG, Gaslink Commission Newly Refurbished Elegbata Sports Centre

Lagos State Sports scores another milestone in the public/private partnership with the recently commissioned Elegbata Sports Centre, Elegbata on Lagos Island.

Director General Lekan Fatodu led top management staff of the Lagos State Sports Commission to the Elegbata Sports Centre for the brief commissioning of the sports centre.

Also on hand was the Managing Director, Gas Distribution Axxela, Kehinde Alabi who also came along with some staff of the company.

Sports Marketing International reports that Gaslink refurbished the playing turf, perimeter fence, spectator gallery stand, and improved the overall aesthetic of the sports centre.

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Marketing & Sponsorship

Niger Delta Sports Festival: Akwa Ibom ready to host – Gov Umoh Eno

 

The maiden edition of the Niger Delta Sports Festival has received a major boost with the assurance by the Akwa Ibom State Government of its readiness to host.

The State Governor, His Excellency, Pastor Umoh Eno, gave the assurance on Thursday during a courtesy visit by the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission led by the Managing Director, Dr Sam Ogbuku, accompanied Executive Director, Sector Directors, and the Project Consultants, Dunamis Icon, to brief the Governor on the objectives for instituting the multi sports competition and plans for its successful realisation.

Thanking the NDDC for initiating the festival and choosing Akwa Ibom State as host of the maiden edition, Gov Enoh said the visit by the NDDC shows it’s seriousness on the project.

“We thank you for the privilege to host. Your visit shows your seriousness, and there is no way we will reject it.

“The festival will promote the unity in our diversity and also help the local economy through the various commercial activities, from patronage of hotels, food, transportation and other things involved.

“We will set up a small committee to work with you to deliver the event. We look forward to welcoming the Niger Delta, and together, we will have a good time.”

On the availability of required sports facilities, the governor expressed pleasure that successive administrations in the state have contributed to the stock.

“These facilities have come through the combination of works done by each administration. The Godswill Akpabio Stadium done by our present Senate President has stood the test of time, and it also takes great efforts to maintain and sustain it.”

L-R: MD of NDDC, Dr Sam Ogbuku; Akwa Ibom State Governor, His Excellency, Pastor Umoh Eno; NDDC Executive Director of Projects, Sir Victor Antai; and Exective Director, Corporate Services, Hon Ifedayo Abegunde

 

Earlier in his address, the NDDC Managing Director said the key objectives of the initiative is to foster regional integration, project the identity of the region as a leader in Nigerian sports, and support the partner the states in the discovery and harnessing of talents for the attainment of gainful sporting careers and national excellence in international competitions.

“The Niger Delta is a leading sports hub in Nigeria. The region has produced great sports legends, but when we do not do something to sustain that, there will be a decline.

“We have done very well in our interventions on roads, bridges, education, health, the provision of infrastructure in various other sectors, and as we mark the 25th anniversary of the NDDC, we are starting with intervention in sports.

“We have had a meeting with the commissioners for sports of the nine states, and they are excited and confirmed their participation in the festival.”

“We chose Akwa Ibom after having confirmed that the state has the facilities for competition in the featured sports and we would only need to do a few touches on some of them, with the Godswill as the main venue.”

Rhe NDDC entourage included Sir Victor Antai, Executive Director, Projects; Hon Ifedayo Abegunde, Executive Director, Corporate Services; Apostle Edikan Nkono, Akwa Ibom representative on the board of the NDDC; Directors of various operational departments; Sir Itiako Ikpokpo, Chairman of Dunamis Icon Limited, and other officers of the company.

The Niger Delta Sports Festival is scheduled for April 1 to 8, 2025, with Uyo as the host city.

The activities would start with state trials and selection process, which the organisers say would begin from the local government areas and across the 85 federal constituencies in the region.

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Marketing & Sponsorship

BetKing Gears Up for Its 7th Anniversary with Exciting Giveaways for Customers Across Nigeria

BetKing Gears Up for Its 7th Anniversary with Exciting Giveaways for Customers Across Nigeria

Seven years ago, a new chapter in Nigeria’s gaming industry began with the launch of BetKing. Built on a foundation of innovation and excellence, it has since risen to the top, transforming sports, virtual and casino gaming, creating opportunities for countless winners across the country.

As BetKing approaches its 7th anniversary on February 22, 2025, the journey has been nothing short of remarkable. What started as an ambition to provide a premium betting experience has evolved into a brand that champions empowerment, community development, and business growth. To mark the occasion, BetKing is giving back to the players who have been part of this incredible journey, offering exciting rewards worth over 50 million naira, including cash prizes, free bets, iPhones, PS5 consoles, and more throughout February 2025.

Nengi Akinola, Head of Marketing, BetKing, shares the excitement surrounding the anniversary celebrations: “BetKing is all about giving back to our customers, and our 7th anniversary is the perfect time to do just that. We are rolling out an exciting reward campaign, where players will have the opportunity to win fantastic prizes simply by engaging with our platform. From free bets to the latest smartphones and gaming consoles, we’re making it more rewarding than ever to bet with the best betting site in Nigeria.”

“Over the past seven years, BetKing has not only redefined sports betting in Nigeria but has also built a legacy of impact, innovation, and empowerment. Our journey has been fueled by the unwavering support of our customers, agents, and business partners. She added.

This anniversary reflects past successes and an opportunity to reward players who have made BetKing the best betting site in Nigeria. The brand’s commitment to its customers is evident in the scale of its reward campaign.

As one of the best betting apps in the market, BetKing continues to set the pace for a user-friendly, secure, and rewarding gaming experience. As the company looks ahead, the commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction remains stronger than ever.

The anniversary rewards campaign runs from February 1st to 28th, 2025, and players can participate by placing bets via the BetKing website or mobile app for a chance to win.

For more details on how to join the celebration, visit www.betking.com. Here’s to seven years of winning, and many more to come.

 

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