Will the NFL Collaboration Be a Touchdown for Lululemon?

Lululemon, stretching beyond its yoga roots, announced its first partnership with the National Football League (NFL) to make fan apparel and accessories under the league’s 32 team colors logos.

The offerings include core Lululemon products from its Steady State men’s franchise, along with signature women’s styles — including Define, Scuba and Align. The partnership marks a collaboration with Fanatics, which holds exclusive consumer product licensing rights for Nike’s NFL apparel.

Fans can shop the collection on the NFL’s online shop, Fanatics, and team retail locations, including online and at stadium stores.

To support the launch, former NFL stars like Joe Montana, Nick Foles, Ryan Clark, and Emmanuel Acho are being featured in a “Welcome to the Fam Club” campaign, which spotlights the families behind the athletes.

“True NFL fans wear their pride. For them, fan gear is more than apparel, it’s a badge of loyalty and a way to instantly connect with a community that is like a family,” said Celeste Burgoyne, president, Americas and global guest innovation, Lululemon. “We looked to honor that passionate devotion and are thrilled to be part of that ritual found throughout the NFL season.”

Said Renie Anderson, EVP and chief revenue officer for the NFL, “Lululemon boasts a loyal fan base built on culture, meaningful connections and innovation, qualities that thoroughly reflect the NFL.”

NFL Collabs Increasing in Visibility, Diversity

The move comes as the NFL earlier this year named Abercrombie & Fitch NFL’s first official fashion partner, also forming other fashion partnerships to support its growing female fan base. A September poll by Ipsos found that 41% of American women were NFL fans.

Lululemon formed a similar partnership last year with the National Hockey League (NHL), with both deals seen helping the brand increase awareness among men. In the U.S., men’s apparel makes up around a quarter of Lululemon’s sales.

Lululemon Facing Significant Headwinds

Lululemon’s shares have tumbled about 60% this year due to growth concerns. Same-stores sales in the Americas fell 4% in the second quarter, with management blaming weakness in lifestyle offerings due to an over-reliance on core franchises and poor innovation. CEO Calvin McDonald said on an analyst call, “We have become too predictable within our casual offerings and missed opportunities to create new trends.”

McDonald also said Lululemon is facing more competition in its space amid investor concerns over upstarts such as Alo Yoga and Vuori. He vowed to increase the percentage of new styles, accelerate product updates, and speed the replenishment of popular items.

Needham analyst Tom Nikic told Business of Fashion, “They’re trying to find that next big thing, or next big innovation that’s going to reinvigorate the business.”

One critic of Lululemon’s NFL partnership is Jefferies analyst Randy Konik, who in a note described the move as a “Hail Mary” that signaled “deeper strategic confusion” for Lululemon. Konik similarly felt Lululemon’s move to partner with Walt Disney to sell gear featuring both Mickey Mouse and the Lululemon name risked alienating core upscale female customers.

He said, “Rather than reinforcing its core, this move highlights a pattern of chasing non-core growth at the expense of brand clarity, risking further erosion of [Lululemon’s] premium positioning and [long-term] biz stability.”