A sign at the entrance to the Lululemon store in Midtown Manhattan.
Eric McGregor | Light Rocket | Getty Images
lululemon has partnered with the NFL to launch an apparel collection for all 32 NFL teams. This is the first time the company has offered officially licensed merchandise for the NFL or its franchises.
Scheduled to launch on Tuesday, the collection includes men’s and women’s apparel and accessories bearing the NFL team’s insignia, including some of Lululemon’s most notable products, including the Steady State men’s franchise and women’s styles from Define, Scuba and Align.
Lululemon, long known for its roots in yoga wear, has expanded into the sports and performance field in recent years. Last year, the company partnered with the NHL to launch team-branded items and expanded its roster of sports ambassadors, including PGA golfers Min Woo Lee and Max Homa, ATP tennis pro Francis Tiafoe, NFL player DK Metcalf and NHL player Connor Bedard. Earlier this year, the company made perhaps its biggest splash yet, appointing Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton as its ambassador.
Celeste Burgoyne, Lululemon’s president of Americas and global guest innovation, said the retailer sees opportunity in sports where it can offer “the best products that allow fans to celebrate their teams in premium spaces.”
“This is about allowing our existing guests to wear Lululemon in arenas and stadiums, but it’s also about welcoming new guests and expanding our world to grow our guest base and really connect them,” she said.
Lululemon has struggled in recent quarters, hit hard by tariffs and other changes in consumer trends. But CEO Calvin McDonald, speaking on CNBC last month, said he sees opportunities for innovation within the company’s key categories and items.
For the NFL, partnering with Lululemon on a new collection is another opportunity to expand its range of team gear, according to NFL CRO Lenny Anderson.
“We want to make sure we have variety and selection for all fans, from casual styles to more classic styles,” Anderson said. “It’s all part of an ecosystem of passion and love for the sport and the club, and the ability to express yourself in that way, whether it’s in a fun way with foam fingers and hats or in a cool, casual and fashionable way.”
The new items will be available through the league’s e-commerce site, the team’s retail stores, and through Fanatics, which has a long-standing partnership with the NFL and holds the league’s consumer product licensing rights for fan gear.
Fanatics Commerce CEO Andrew Low Ah Kee said while historically the sports industry has often overserved fans with certain casual product categories such as T-shirts and hoodies, there is now “a real demand and appetite for real premium”.
“Jerseys are truly sports uniforms,” Lo Ah Kee said. “When you think about a consumer’s closet, I think jerseys have a role, but I think a lot of other apparel has a role as well.”
