Does The NFL Have a Bigger Fashion Opportunity?

Boosted by the emergence of sports culture and the “Taylor Swift effect” on football, the National Football League (NFL) has secured a number of new fashion partnerships ahead of the upcoming season.

The alliances include Abercrombie & Fitch inking a deal to become the league’s first official fashion partner. Building on an existing NFL licensing deal launched in 2022, Abercrombie will now be rolling out campaigns fronted by players, as well as co-designed merchandise and in-store activations timed to the league’s tentpole events, from international games to the Super Bowl.

“We’re uniquely positioned for this moment where sports, fashion, and culture are converging like never before,” said Abercrombie’s CEO Fran Horowitz in announcing the NFL deal.

Crocs teamed up with the NFL for the first time to release new team-specific footwear. Matias Infante, VP of global marketing at Crocs, said “We’re excited to join forces with a brand that shares the same passion and loyalty from its fans as we do.”

American Eagle announced a limited-edition, co-branded collaboration with Tru Kolors, the lifestyle brand of Travis Kelce, star player for the Kansas City Chiefs and recently-crowned fiancé of pop superstar Taylor Swift. Jennifer Foyle, president and executive creative director for AE, said, “AE and Tru Kolors are rooted in optimism, self-expression and confidence — and we share a passion for empowering everyone to feel like their true self when wearing our products.”

NFL licensing deals have also been announced with watchmaker Breitling, activewear giant Champion, West Coast preppy-inspired brand Johnnie-O, and menswear designer Todd Snyder.

NFL Continues To Attract More Fans Who Are Women

The move comes as athleticwear looks and fabrics in recent years have increasingly been featured on designer runways, with many athletes standing out as style icons.

The NFL, which ranks as America’s most-popular sport by a wide margin, has also been attracting more women fans in recent decades — and women following the sport surged over the last two years, perhaps at least in part initially due the fanfare over Kelce’s courtship of Swift. The relationship was first confirmed in September 2023.

In the two football seasons since she began dating Kelce, Swift has brought over $1 billion in publicity and revenue to the NFL, according to a report released this past February from advertising company Apex Marketing.

Marissa Solis, SVP of global brand and consumer marketing at the NFL, told USA Today, earlier this year that 68% of women and girls are now NFL fans with Swift mania only accelerating gains.

“I think the Taylor effect, as many people call it, obviously boosted our audience,” Solis said. “We love Taylor. She’s a huge icon among that audience. But we were already growing with that audience before that. I think she just helped us and came at the right time.”